Crockpot Tikka Masala and Ethiopian Cabbage

2 tasty crock-pot dishes for supper tonight. I ran across this tikka masala recipe (link to original recipe) on Pinterest and I am so glad I did! I have been wanting another good go-to recipe for the old crock-pot

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts cut into small-medium sized pieces
  
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 whole jalapeno pepper cut in slices
  

Sauce before adding it to the crock-pot

For the Sauce:

• 4 tbsp butter ( I think this would have been just as good with just 2 tbsp)
  
• 1 whole large onion, peeled and diced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt
• 3 tbsp garam masala
• 1 piece fresh ginger, about 2-3 inches, peeled and grated or very finely minced
• 4 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp sugar ( I used sun crystals)
  
• 2-3 tbsp heavy cream ( I did not add this at the end and it was just as tasty without it)
  

For Serving:

• 4 cups cooked rice, hot
• cilantro for garnish ( I love cilantro)
  

Instructions:

1. Cut the chicken into 1- 1 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle the coriander, cumin and salt over the chicken, then stir in the yogurt until all the pieces are evenly coated. Place the chicken in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and put the jalapeno on top of the chicken.
2. To prepare the sauce, melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and salt, then stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to lightly brown around the edges.
3. Stir in the garam masala and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) before adding the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Stir well, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender.
5. Pour heavy cream into the slow cooker and stir gently until the color is even. Replace the lid and let cook for 10 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.
6. Serve over hot rice topped with a generous amount of chopped cilantro.

This recipe was a bust, not that it tasted bad but it just didn't taste like the cabbage and carrot dish that I have had at several Ethiopian restaurants. I think when I try it again I will add some sugar to it, I recall the dish in the restaurants being a little sweet, and I thought the sweetness was from the carrots but it just wasn't the same. Maybe it just isn't the same without injera.

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
• 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

I cooked mine in the crock-pot so I threw all these ingredients together and added 1 cup of water and let it cook on low for about 5 hours. It was tasty but a little bland.