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Tandoori Chicken

A tandoor is a wood-fired clay oven that is used in India for cooking. Although a slow cooker will give you more of a tandoori stew than a traditional tandoori, it’s still delicious. The flavors of yogurt, Indian spices (see savvy), and chicken mingle to make this a great dish to serve with steamed rice. Don’t forget the traditional accompaniments of raita, a cooling cucumber-yogurt sauce, and naan or flat bread for dipping.

1½ cups plain yogurt

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

One 3 to 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skin removed

combine the yogurt, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, paprika, garlic, and ginger in a 1-gallon zipper-top plastic bag.

add the chicken in the bag and marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Put the chicken and the marinade in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

cover and cook on high for 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through (170°F on an instant-read meat thermometer). remove the chicken from the pot and serve warm or at room temperature.

serves 6

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tandoori savvy

If you prefer to buy a tandoori seasoning instead of making your own, there are several good ones on the market, which you can find at gourmet retailers or at Penzey’s Spices.

Fruited Chicken Tagine

The word tagine refers not only to a dish but also to the vessel in which it is cooked. Originally from North Africa, cooking tagines have a flat dish that holds ingredients, and a conical lid with a vent. Tagines also can be made successfully in a slow cooker with excellent results. This tagine slowly simmers chicken thighs, dried apricots, and dried plums together to make a sweet and savory dish that is terrific with steamed rice or couscous.

8 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed

1½ teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

¼ cup olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ cup dried apricots, cut into quarters (see savvy)

½ cup dried plums (see savvy)

½ cup orange juice

Grated zest of one orange

1½ cups chicken broth

¼ cup water mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups cooked couscous

sprinkle the chicken with the salt and cayenne. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken a few pieces at a time and brown on all sides.

transfer the browned chicken to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, turmeric, garlic, cumin, ginger, and brown sugar to the skillet and sauté until the onion begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Add the apricots, plums, orange juice, orange zest, and broth to the cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4½ to 5½ hours, until the chicken is tender and the fruit is plump.

stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.

serve the chicken, fruit, and sauce over a bed of the couscous.

serves 6

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apricot savvy

To prevent the apricots from sticking to your knife while cutting, spray the knife with nonstick cooking spray.

plum savvy

Dried plums are really prunes. Marketers decided that prunes had gotten a bad rap so now they’re called dried plums!

Braised Chicken in Stout

Guinness stout is a favorite in the United Kingdom and is a delicious addition to your slowcooker dishes. This chicken is braised in Guinness, with added Asian flavors, and turns out as a delicious stew to serve over steamed rice or noodles.

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces, or 8 pieces of your favorite chicken parts, skin removed

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons