SUPER SLOW COOKED ROGAN JOSH

One of the best things about the weekend is that I have more time to play in the kitchen and when I'm feeling like I want a big plate of comfort food there is nothing better than getting the slow cooker out and making a delicious curry from scratch. No ready made sauces from a jar here, it's all about a homemade curry paste made with an array of herbs and spices and then frying it up with some onions and carrot before letting it simmer for hours until it's ready to be bulked out with some Quorn chicken and more fresh veg.

Slow Cooked Veggie Rogan Josh

3 Dried Chilies

4 Crushed Green Cardamon Pods

4 Whole Cloves

1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds

1 Tsp Fennel Seeds

3 Grated Cloves Of Garlic

Thumbnail Sized Piece Of Grated Ginger

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Ground Cumin

2 Tsp Ground Turmeric 

Large Pinch Ground Mace

1 Tsp Garam Masala

4 Tbsp Tomato Puree

1 Large Finely Chopped Red Onion

1 Large Peeled And Cubed Carrot

200ml Vegetable Stock

Salt And Pepper To Season

1 Large Cinnamon Stick

3 Black Cardamon Pods

150g Quorn Chicken Pieces 

1 Large Courgette Cut Into Chunks

1 Chopped Red Pepper

75g Plain Yogurt

1. Pop your slow cooker on to heat up and place a small dry pan on the hob on medium heat. Tip the dried chilies, green cardamon pods, cloves, coriander seeds and fennel seeds into the pan and lightly toast the spices. Keep moving them around in the pan so they don't catch and once you can smell the fragrances of the spices being released take them off the heat.
2. Transfer the toasted spices into a large mortar along with the garlic, ginger, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, mace, GaramMarsala and tomato paste and use a pestle to grind everything down to form your Rogan Josh curry paste. Try and get the paste as smooth as possible. Leave to one side.
3. Now take a large well oiled frying pan and add in the onion and carrots until the onions begin to soften. Add in the curry paste and fry until all the veg is coated in the paste. Pour in the stock and season liberally with salt and pepper. 
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and transfer everything to your slow cooker. Add in the cinnamon stick and black Cardamon pods and leave the curry to simmer for at least three hours but the longer the better!
5. 45 minutes before you're ready to serve, chuck in the Quorn chicken, courgette and red peppers and leave to simmer again for 45 minutes or until the courgettes are cooked. When your ready to serve, stir through the plain yogurt until the sauce lightens in color and remove the cinnamon stick and black cardamon pods.

Serve the Rogan Josh on a bed of beautifully cooked rice with some warm naan bread brushed with garlic oil ready for scooping up every last drop of that gorgeous curry sauce. If you have any, garnish the curry with some freshly chopped coriander leaves to add a burst of fresh herby goodness to the dish. Thanks to the yogurt, the curry should have just the right amount of heat to it to allow the fragrant flavors of all those herbs and spices to shine through. It's so much better than any shop bought sauce! A super special slow cooked supper that will bring a taste of Indian straight into your home.