Fighting Stress with Spice: Curry Chicken Stew in a Slow Cooker

Curry Chicken Stew


If breakfast is the starter meal of a day, then Sunday is the starter meal of the work week. Reviewing the schedule for the upcoming week, it revealed little time for cooking a meal. Sunday dinner needed a recipe for the crock pot. The meal needed to be hearty and large to last a few extra days. The additional stress endured this week will be counteracted with a spicy Curry Chicken stew. Meals with little nutritional value will only feed the stress.

Sunday starts with our audacity to accept a invitation to a wonderful performance. After returning home from seeing Emperor Jones at the SoHo Playhouse, it was a relief to know dinner would be quickly served. As we waited for the rice to cook — 45 minutes for brown rice — we worked on our projects. When the rice was ready and the garnishes were prepped, we ate a spicy stew and enjoyed the evening. During the week, I will remember this relaxing moment in the midst of chaos.

Curry Chicken Stew in a Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken; cleaned and cut into 10 parts; seasoned and marinated for at least 1 hour in a mixture of sea salt, fresh pepper, curry, paprika, cumin, lime, ground ginger, lime juice, olive oil and crushed red pepper
  • 1 large onion; diced
  • 2 stalks of celery; diced
  • 2 to 3 carrots; diced
  • 1 green bell pepper; diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper; seeds discarded, finely diced
  • 3-inch piece of ginger; diced
  • 6 cloves of garlic; minced
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper; to taste
  • 1/4 c. of curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1-1/2 quarts of chicken stock
  • 1/2 to 1 c. of white wine
  • 1 tsp. of tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp. red balsamic vinegar
  • 1-14 oz. canned chopped tomatoes with juice
  • 1 bunch of fresh thyme; tied with twine
  • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro; minced
  • 1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley; minced
  • 2 to 3 bay leaves
  • 3/4 lb. red and/or white baby potatoes, cleaned and quartered
  • 1-14 oz. coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup of coconut sugar
  • The juice of one lime
  • Brown Rice; cooked according to the manufacturer’s directions
  • Garnish: roughly chopped cilantro, sliced almonds, slice green apples, cranberries/raisins, unsweetened coconut, chopped pistachios, and/or chopped green onions

Directions

  1. Over medium-high heat in olive oil, brown chicken pieces on both sides. Five to ten minutes per batch of chicken. Place chicken in slow cooker, but don’t turn it on, yet.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and sautéed onions, celery, carrots, green pepper, jalapeno and fresh ginger in the same skillet until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are soft. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add sea salt, fresh black pepper, crushed red pepper, curry, paprika, coriander, cumin. Stir for one to two minutes. If the mixture is too dry, add a little chicken stock. Place vegetable mixture in the slow cooker.
  3. Deglaze the same skillet by adding 1/2 cup chicken stock and wine, cover and bring to a boil, scrapping up brown pieces of the vegetables at the bottom. Pour liquid into the slow cooker, but don’t turn it on, yet.
  4. Add the rest of the tomato paste, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme to the slow cooker, but don’t turn it on, yet.
  5. Gently stir the ingredients in the slow cooker. Now turn on the slow cooker, and cook on low for four to six hours.
  6. About 30 minutes before the four to six hours of the cooking time is completed, pour coconut milk into the slow cooker. Continue to cook toward the rest of the cooking time. Stir in the juice of one lime, parsley, and cilantro to the slow cooker.
  7. Ladle stew over brown rice. Garnish with a choice of cilantro, unsweetened coconut, sliced almonds, slice green apples, cranberries/raisins and chopped green onions.

Update 08/15/10: Made this salad at the last minute to accompany the Curry Chicken Stew.

Cucumber Mint Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 cucumbers; seeds removed; roughly chopped
  • 1/4 c. fresh mint; chopped
  • salt and fresh black pepper
  • A dash of crushed red pepper
  • 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. walnut or olive oil
  • 2 to 3 scallions; roughly chopped

Directions

  1. Lightly toss all ingredients together. Let marinate for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

6 thoughts on “Fighting Stress with Spice: Curry Chicken Stew in a Slow Cooker

  • July 7, 2011 at 10:40 am
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    I did so think of making it inside a crockpot once before, yet never attempted. I think I will now instead of starting the big stock container at 10: 30 and constantly getting up in the middle of the night worried for you to death something may get it wrong (also continually skimming the actual fatty oils and any kind of leftover gunk). Jannet Hoolihan

  • February 6, 2010 at 3:14 pm
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    Thanks, Jimmy for the encouragement.

  • February 6, 2010 at 3:13 pm
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    @Jann
    Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog. I’ve never used a Le Creuset pot. However, I called my Father, and he said as long as it’s iron and the cover — including the handles and parts — is oven-proof, it’ll be fine. He just cooked a roast in his dutch oven pot a week ago. Let me know how your version comes out, and if any recipe adjustments were made. I’m curious to know myself. Thanks for sharing!

  • February 5, 2010 at 1:25 am
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    Sanura,
    this food looks great. I remember enjoying curry chicken as a kid. You are on fire! I’m enjoying all of your recipes. I almost got emotional. I am so proud. Keep it up

  • February 4, 2010 at 1:26 pm
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    This looks absolutely wonderful. I don’t have a crock pot, so I’m wondering if I could use a Le Creuset pot and stick it in the oven for several hours. Do you think it would have the same effect? Thanks!

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