Comforting Chicken Vindaloo

Credit: Catherine Roscoe Barr

The spices in chicken vindaloo provide big flavour without big calories

This chicken vindaloo curry recipe, made in a slow cooker, is easy pea-sy!

It’s officially holiday party season so there’s no time to be labouring over the stove. That’s why my trusty new roaster-oven-style slow cooker is in high rotation these days.

I’ve been experimenting with finicky recipes to see if I can skip all of the fiddly steps and just mix everything together in the slow cooker, turn it on, and scoop the contents onto my plate as I rush in from work before heading out to play. So far so good and this Vindaloo recipe is no exception.

Curry is such an incredibly comforting food, and spices such as tumeric have been scientifically proven to not only provide health benefits such as increased immunity, but also allow you to have big flavour without big calories. And I think it’s safe to say that we can all use a little calorie-cutting when there are chocolate fountains and tempting cocktails lurking around every corner.

This is another one of those meals where the brown rice I’ve made ahead of time comes in handy.

The perfect beer to accompany your curry? Light and yummy Cobra beer.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

1. Place chicken and onion in slow cooker.
2. In a larger container with a secure lid, vigorously shake together flour and 2 tbsp hot water until no lumps remain. Add remaining ingredients, except peas, and shake well to combine.
3. Pour sauce over chicken and onions, stirring well so that all of the chicken is coated.
4. Turn slow cooker to 250F if cooking for 8 hours or about 325F if cooking for 4 hours (I’ve never actually tried this I’m just taking a wild guess). If using a regular slow cooker, use low if cooking for 8 hours and high if cooking for 4 hours.
5. Add peas for last 5 minutes of cooking time, stirring well to combine.
6. Serve over brown rice.

This recipe is based on the Pork Vindaloo from the Canadian Living’s Best Soups And Stews cookbook.

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Catherine Roscoe Barr, BSc Neuroscience, is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, and fitness professional. Before settling on the west coast she lived in Sydney, Toronto, Oregon, Montana, and practically everywhere in Alberta. She can be found jogging with her adorable dog, dining with her fabulous husband or voraciously reading anywhere comfy.