Slow Cooker: Potato, Carrot, and Coconut Milk Curry

Serves: 4 to 6


Ingredients:
3 lbs. red potatoes
1 cup water
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
3 Tbsp curry powder
2 tsp chili powder*
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
4 serrano chiles, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped
salt


*for a more mild curry, omit chili powder


Instructions:


1. Wash potatoes, then put in slow cooker with water on low setting for 4 hours.*

2. When potatoes are tender, remove from slow cooker and cut into medium chunks (I cut mine into eighths). 

3. Return potatoes to slow cooker.


4. In a frying pan, heat oil over a medium flame. Saute the onions for about 10 minutes. 

5. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds to the onions and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.


6. Transfer the onions to the slow cooker. Add the carrots, curry powder, chili powder, and coconut milk.


7. Stir evenly, then cover and continue to cook on low for an additional hour.


8. Sprinkle with serrano chiles, salt to taste, and serve.


*cooking time depends on the size of your potatoes. I used somewhat large potatoes; for smaller potatoes, you'll need less time.


I've had my slow cooker for a year, but this is the first time I've used it. My mom gave me a vegetarian slow cooker recipe book for Christmas, so I finally feel motivated to use my slow cooker! This curry was pretty good. I made it for a potluck, and I forgot to add the salt, so last night when I ate it I felt it was somewhat bland. However, I added salt when I ate the leftovers this afternoon, and it made a world of difference! It had great flavor, and was quite filling. 


I've had a brief hiatus from updating this blog; I had final projects to do at the end of the term, and then winter break. I did some cooking in that time, but mostly things I'd made before. Now that I have my slow cooker cookbook, I expect to be updating regularly again. A slow cooker is pretty conducive to a student's schedule; my meal can cook itself while I'm in class or studying!