Murg Makhani: Indian-Style Chicken in a Tomato Cream Sauce in a Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

• 0.7 kg boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 pcs.), cut into 2.5 cm pieces.
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tsp garam masala spices
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 tbsp (90 g) butter, cut into pieces
• 1 can (425 g) canned tomato puree (about 1.5 cups)
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Chopped cilantro, for serving
• Naan or boiled rice, for serving

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with 1.5 teaspoons of salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. Let sit at room temperature. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, garam masala, paprika, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper with 2 tablespoons of water.
2. Turn the slow cooker on high heat to saute. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of butter and melt. Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and starting to stick to the bottom, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the slow cooker.
3. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and stir to coat with the tomato mixture. Close and secure the lid, making sure the steam valve is closed. Set the pressure cooker to high heat for 5 minutes. Once the pressure cooker cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully open the steam valve to manually release any remaining steam. Turn off the slow cooker and open the lid.
4. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons (60 g) butter and cream; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the chicken and sauce among plates. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with flatbreads or rice.