Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

This morning I had every intention of getting up early and putting together this dish so all Ron had to do was plug in the crockpot. Then I forgot. Oops.... So it was Ron's task to get this dish ready for dinner. Ron is a great cook, but usually lets me do the cooking because I enjoy it so much. However, today was his moment to shine, and boy did he shine! I found this recipe at Food With Your Family and knew we had to try it. This dish is a staple when we go to an Indian restaurant.  Ron did an amazing job putting this dish together, and said it was very easy. Props to you honey- you can cook for me anytime. I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow because this is my new favorite crockpot dish! 

Ingredients

For the chicken:

9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (we used 4 chicken breasts- about 1 1/4 lb)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 cup yogurt

4 tablespoons butter

For the sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, peeled and diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 large piece of ginger (2-3 inches in size), peeled and grated

3 tablespoons garam masala

4 cups crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon raw sugar (or granulated white sugar)

1 whole jalapeno, washed, stem removed and pierced several times with a sharp knife

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1- 1 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle the coriander, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt over the chicken, then stir in the yogurt until all the pieces are evenly coated. Cover lightly and let sit for 10 minutes before proceeding.

Melt 1 tablespoon the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Raise the heat to medium high and quickly brown about 1/4 of the chicken. Transfer browned chicken to the slow cooker as it is finished, using 1 tablespoon of butter per batch, and repeat until the chicken is all in the slow-cooker.

Return the pan to the heat and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and the 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, then stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to lightly brown around the edges.

Stir in the garam masala and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) before raising the heat to high and adding the crushed tomatoes and raw sugar. Stir well, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow-cooker and add the jalapeno pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender.

Use a fork or whisk to stir the cornstarch or cleargel with cream. Add to crockpot.

Serve over hot rice