Currying Flavour

As I have shared here before, our family are wimps when it comes to really HOT spicy food. My husband claims to be fine ordering the items marked with little red chilis on menus, but when he is gulping down water and gasping "This is g..r..e..a..t {pant} {pant}. Really it is",  it's kind of like when a man has a gaping wound and tells you in a strangled voice "Oh no {wince} {wince},  it doesn't really hurt." You know it does. There is just a macho need to deny the pain, lest anyone call them a wuss.

As for me, I'm completely content to be a wuss, and admit it freely in public, particularly since less heat does NOT mean less flavour. This dish is a case in point - it is a curry, but not one that is particularly hot. And yet, it is so deliciously rich and tasty you won't for a moment miss the heat. And if you are determined to flaunt your non-wuss-ish-ness, then by all means add another chili to the recipe.

When I called this post "Currying Flavour", I was not merely succumbing to the attraction of a lovely pun. No, I was also referring to the fact that all five of the Farrars lapped up this dish. There was none left, not a morsel, and of course they were all then gushing with gratitude and love for their chef-mummy/wife. OK, so I made up the last bit - but they did eat it all, and with enthusiasm. That is as good as it gets.

Indian-Style Chicken with Pureed Spinach
Adapted from Judith Finlayson's The Healthy Slow Cooker
Serves 6

3 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 TBSP olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 TBSP minced ginger root
1 TBSP minced garlic
3/4 TBSP ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes in juice (no salt added)
2 10 oz packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
juice of 1 lemon

1. Combine chicken with 1/4 cup lemon juice in a large bowl, toss and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions over medium-high heat until they begin to colour, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until golden, about 12 minutes.
3. Add ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper and salt and cook stirring for a further minute. Stir in tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
4. Arrange chicken on base of slow cooker stoneware, and pour tomato mixture over the top. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours, by which time chicken should be fully cooked and falling apart.
5. In a blender or food processor, combine spinach, chili and stock until you get a smooth puree. Add to chicken and stir well. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes until mixture is bubbling. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice.