One of the newer additions to my kitchen is a slow cooker. Even though it seems like there is no need for one it has made a huge difference to some of the non vegetarian dishes I make. Notably all meat and chicken dishes which benefit from the slow cooking process have shown remarkable results. We always try to use chicken breast meat for all the chicken recipes because it is a healthier cut of meat. But it is also the trickiest one to cook as it cooks very quickly and because it has minimal fat, it tends to get chewy very quickly.

The slow cooker is a good way to cook chicken breasts as it ensures that the chicken is tender. One thing that I have realized is that chicken breasts cook best with the skin on and bone in. So in order to retain maximum tenderness, I sear skin on bone in breasts and slow cook them in the cooker for 2-3 hours. Once the chicken is done, the chicken breasts are allowed to rest for a few minutes and when they are cool enough to handle, they can be shredded and added to the curry base.

Ingredients

2 bone in skin on chicken breasts

1 large onion (finely chopped)

2 medium tomatoes (crushed)

1 inch ginger (grated)

2 cloves of garlic (grated)

1 1/2 cups fresh milk

2 tablespoon fresh cream

1/2 cup fresh(frozen) methi leaves or 1/4 cup dried methi leaves

1 cinnamon stick

3-4 cloves

1 mace flower

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

1/2 tsp crushed red chillies

2-3 tsp vegetable oil

2 tsp chicken curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Slit the chicken breasts into half along the bone or they can be left whole also. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 tsp chicken curry masala (powder) and rub well on the chicken breasts on all sides. In a pan, put 1 tsp oil and when the pan heats up, sear the chicken breasts on all sides. Remove and set aside.

2. In the pan, add the remaining oil, cinnamon, cloves, mace, onions, ginger and garlic. Cook them for a few minutes over medium low heat till the onions start to tun light brown. Add coriander powder, turmeric, chilli and salt to taste and let it cook for another couple of minutes. Add 1 cup milk and cook for a few minutes.

3. Put the chicken breasts in the stone insert of the slow cooker and pour the mixture above on it. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the slow cooker and rest for a few minutes. Remove the skin from the chicken and then remove the meat from the bone and shred into bite sized pieces.

4. In a pan, cook the crushed tomatoes over medium low heat till they reduce and add the remaining liquid from the slow cooker. Add the methi leaves and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining milk, cream and chicken curry masala. Adjust the seasoning to taste and add the shredded chicken to the gravy and cook for another 5 minutes on very slow fire.

5. Serve hot with rotis, naan or rice.