Curried Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Rice

Curried Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Rice

This recipe is modified from one I found in a magazine and to be honest, it wasn't nearly as spicy as we'd hoped.  My husband and I LOVE Indian food, and smelling this in our crockpot all afternoon was really making our mouths water.  But this was much more mild than we expected (probably fine for someone new to Indian food though).  Next time, I'm at least doubling the spices and probably adding some chili pepper flakes as well.  This recipe makes enough for 5-6 servings.

2 C sliced onion

8 cloves garlic

1-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 5-8 thighs)

2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

1 T ground cumin

2 t curry powder

1 1/2 t coriander

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t cloves

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t xanthan gum - this is a thickener you can use in place of corn starch or flour to thicken gravies or soups with about 10 calories per teaspoon.  But use with care, a little goes a LONG way.  Also, read the label, some can be made from wheat, and although it has only tiny amounts of gluten, if you are allergic, you should still avoid it.

8 oz chicken broth

6 oz plain yogurt

1/2 head cauliflower

Optional - top with fresh mint leaves, lemon zest and/or almond slivers

Place onion and garlic cloves in the bottom of a large crock pot.  Top with carrots and then chicken.  Combine seasonings, xanthan gum with chicken broth and pour over the top.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-9.
Just before serving transfer meat to a serving platter and whisk in the yogurt.

For the cauliflower rice, grate half a cauliflower using a box grater and microwave on high for 4-5 min or until soft.  This is a great substitute for rice and usually halves the calories in any rice based dish.  For example, the original recipe for this (which had 1/4 C tapioca for the xanthan gum and 3 C regular steamed rice) had  600 calories and almost 90 grams of carbohydrates per serving.  This recipe has 251 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrates.