Girlfriends in the Kitchen - Crockpot Chicken Makhani & Fresh Garlic Naan

My girlfriends came over with each of us bringing an ingredient & crockpots!  We had so much fun visiting and getting dinner ready for our families while the kiddos played around us.

I love indian food & one of my favorites is Chicken Makhani or Buttered Chicken.  It has this creamy tomato sauce with the best perfume of spices.  I also love naan so I was very thrilled to find a recipe to make it on the grill.  Next time I make it though I will not let the grill be soo hot.  I think it cooked a little too fast.  I like my naan not as browned.

Here are the recipes that I used for my inspiration.  I was a little hesitant to just dump everything in the crockpot but it came out great!!  And way easier.

I love this blog! Here is the recipe that I used.

Crockpot Chicken Makhani

For the chicken:

9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 cup yogurt

4 tablespoons butter

-Mix salt, coriander, cumin, yogurt & butter together on mix into chicken in crock.  Let sit for about 30 minutes (you can definitely marinate overnight if you think about it ahead of time).  I started the naan at this point.

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 (you can make your own if you don't have any)

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

Mix everything together for the sauce in the crock over the chicken.  *Note:  The jalapeno does NOT  make it spicy at all but gives it a more complex flavor!!  My kids gobbled it up :)

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

Serve over basmati rice topped with a generous amount of chopped cilantro.

Grilled Garlic Naan

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside in a warm place (used warm oven) to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat. Make sure grill isn't too hot!!

At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.  Store cooked naan in a warm oven while cooking the rest, if desired.  

Recipe from Christine's Kitchen Chronicles