Recipe for slow cooker chicken curry with sweet potatoes, tomato and raisins {gluten-free}

On its way to becoming a traditional chicken korma -- curry in a tomato and yogurt sauce -- this slow cooker chicken curry veered off the path, and I'm so glad it did. Chicken korma isn't a fiery hot curry like vindaloo, but because I like heat, I used hot curry powder instead of mild. And then I realized I wanted sweet heat, so I added raisins and agave nectar to bring the curry into balance. Like all curries, this dish is very accommodating; if you prefer chicken breast, use that (but cut the cooking time slightly). If you don't like sweet potato, try red-skinned potatoes. Play with the sweet and heat to your own taste by adjusting the curry powder (use mild instead of hot), red pepper flakes (more or less than the recipe specifies), and agave.

Slow cooker chicken curry with sweet potatoes, tomato and raisins

From the pantry, you'll need: onion, fresh ginger root, hot curry powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, mild red pepper flakes, garlic, kosher salt, canned chopped tomatoes, raisins, agave nectar, cinnamon stick, fat-free plain yogurt.

Many nearly identical versions of chicken korma inspired this dish, most especially these recipes from Citronlimette and Andrea Meyers. Serves 6-8, with rice.

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed well, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato (1 very large potato)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger root
2 tsp hot curry powder (or use mild, whatever you prefer)
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp mild red pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
14 oz canned chopped tomatoes with their juices
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tsp agave nectar, or more to taste
Fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients except the yogurt, agave nectar and black pepper into a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Stir everything together.

Cook on LOW for 6 hours. Discard the cinnamon stick, and stir in the yogurt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with agave nectar, salt and black pepper, as needed.

Serve hot, over cooked rice.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More favorite slow cooker chicken dishes:
Slow cooker tandoori pulled chicken
Slow cooker coffee-chipotle pulled chicken roll-ups
Slow cooker Middle Eastern garlic chicken
Slow cooker hoisin chicken, bok choy and sesame brown rice bowl
Slow cooker lemon-garlic chicken and white bean stew

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Tom's Trinidadian chicken curry, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Kerala coconut chicken curry, from The Kitchn
Chicken curry salad, from Simply Recipes
Rajasthani red chicken curry, from eCurry
Chicken, tomato and green bean curry, from Everyday Maven

Need more creative ideas for using tomatoes all year round? Get 25 Tomatoes, my e-book packed with fantastic recipes, full-color photos and a fun video tutorial. With the FREE Kindle Reading app, delicious tomato recipes will always be just one click away on any computer, tablet or smart phone. Click here to learn more.

Slow cooker chicken curry with sweet potatoes, tomato and raisins

From the pantry, you'll need: onion, fresh ginger root, hot curry powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, mild red pepper flakes, garlic, kosher salt, canned chopped tomatoes, raisins, agave nectar, cinnamon stick, fat-free plain yogurt.

Many nearly identical versions of chicken korma inspired this dish, most especially these recipes from Citronlimette and Andrea Meyers. Serves 6-8, with rice.

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed well, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato (1 very large potato)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger root
2 tsp hot curry powder (or use mild, whatever you prefer)
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp mild red pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
14 oz canned chopped tomatoes with their juices
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tsp agave nectar, or more to taste
Fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients except the yogurt, agave nectar and black pepper into a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Stir everything together.

Cook on LOW for 6 hours. Discard the cinnamon stick, and stir in the yogurt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with agave nectar, salt and black pepper, as needed.

Serve hot, over cooked rice.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More favorite slow cooker chicken dishes:
Slow cooker tandoori pulled chicken
Slow cooker coffee-chipotle pulled chicken roll-ups
Slow cooker Middle Eastern garlic chicken
Slow cooker hoisin chicken, bok choy and sesame brown rice bowl
Slow cooker lemon-garlic chicken and white bean stew

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Tom's Trinidadian chicken curry, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Kerala coconut chicken curry, from The Kitchn
Chicken curry salad, from Simply Recipes
Rajasthani red chicken curry, from eCurry
Chicken, tomato and green bean curry, from Everyday Maven

Need more creative ideas for using tomatoes all year round? Get 25 Tomatoes, my e-book packed with fantastic recipes, full-color photos and a fun video tutorial. With the FREE Kindle Reading app, delicious tomato recipes will always be just one click away on any computer, tablet or smart phone. Click here to learn more.

Comments

What could be easier? I'll add any dish to my list that uses sweet potatoes, and the golden raisins are a nice dash of sweetness.

TW, before I began using my slow cooker for Indian curries, I always found the list of ingredients intimidating. Now, I realize that most of the spices get added to the slow cooker together, and the long cooking brings them into harmony. Not scary at all.

Looks good! I would leave out the raisins because they're high in sugar (and for some reason I don't especially like cooked raisins.) Otherwise this sounds like a keeper!

Kalyn, you absolutely don't need the raisins, especially if you don't use hot curry powder. They do add a nice sweetness, though, so you might replace that with chunks of apple.

Lydia,
Chicken Korma is my all time favorite Indian food. I first had it in Germany, and it rocks. I've made a variety of curries in my crock pot, but for some reason I've never made korma. Time to remedy that. Thanks!

Kirsten, of course I want you to play with this recipe and tweak to your own taste. I made mine a bit spicier, and sweeter, than a typical korma.

Love it when your creative juices get flowing and the dish you end up making barely resembles what you intended. This sounds like it's packed with flavor!

Jeanette, the slow cooker lends itself to improvisation, because it's so easy to keep tossing ingredients into it!

Does this freeze with the yoghurt added?

Vicki, you can freeze it with the yogurt added; it might separate a little bit when it's defrosted, but you can whisk it back together. or, if you know you're planning to freeze, leave the yogurt out, and add it when you reheat.