Indian-Spiced Braised Chicken

I have not had much exposure to Indian food. I can not tolerate the heat in most Indian dishes. But assuming the spices are brought down to a sissy level, I find that I am enjoying this cuisine more and more. I went to an Indian restaurant in California this summer as part of a wedding rehearsal dinner. There were a few dishes on the buffet that I absolutely loved. I only wish I could remember what they were and figure out a way to reproduce them at home.

I really need to use more slow-cooker more than I do. My piano lessons on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons makes it very difficult to get dinner on the table at a reasonable time. So, yesterday I was determined to plan ahead and decided to go with the following recipe.

I invested in some garam masala (since I'm going to be experimenting more with Indian dishes . . . hopefully). I loved its sweet spice smell.

I didn't follow the recipe very well. I used jarred ginger and garlic. I forget to buy cilantro, so it was left out. And I added the garam masala in the beginning instead of waiting until the end of the cooking time. Whoops. It still turned out well, and I am looking to more attempts at (Americanized) Indian cooking.

Indian-Spiced Braised Chicken
Source: Everyday Food

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon grated ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
cooked white rice, for serving

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together chicken, onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, coriander, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook on high 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours) until fork-tender. Stir in yogurt, cilantro, and if using, garam masala. Serve with rice.