Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

1. Peel and finely slice the onions. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger. Roughly chop the tomatoes.

2. Set a frying pan on a medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp ghee or oil. Add the diced chicken leg and fry for 6-8 mins, turning often, till browned all over. Scoop into a 3½ ltr slow cooker.

3. Put the frying pan back on the heat and add the onions with 2-3 tbsp water. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry, stirring often, for 6-8 mins till glossy and browned. Stir in the garlic and ginger and fry, stirring, for 1 min, then scoop into the slow cooker. You don't have to brown the chicken and onions before adding to the slow cooker, but it will add an extra richness to the curry if you do.

4. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato ketchup and 1-2 tbsp tikka masala spice mix, depending on how strongly spiced you'd like your dish. Add a good pinch of salt. Gently stir together, then pop the lid on the slow cooker.

5. Set the slow cooker to medium and cook for 6-7 hrs. For a faster stew, set the cooker to high and cook for 3-4 hrs. For a longer cook, set it to low and cook for 8-10 hrs.

6. When the chicken has 20 mins left to cook, prepare the rice by tipping it into a bowl and pouring in enough cold water to cover it. Whisk till the water goes cloudy (this is the starch). Drain the rice and rinse again, then tip it into a medium-sized pan. Half-filll your kettle and boil it. Add 600ml hot water from the kettle to the pan with a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat right down. Very gently simmer for 8 mins till all the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat. Leave the rice to steam in the pan, lid on, while you finish the chicken.

7. Finely chop the coriander stalks and set the leaves aside. Stir the yogurt and coriander stalks into the chicken curry. Add the spinach to the slow cooker and pop the lid back on for 4-5 mins to wilt the spinach. Stir the wilted spinach into the sauce.

8. Taste the curry and add more salt and pepper or a pinch of sugar, if you think it needs it. Serve the chicken tikka masala with the fluffy cooked rice, garnished with the coriander leaves. Serve with extra Greek style yogurt on the side, if liked.

9. On The Hob
If you'd like to make this curry on the hob, fry the chicken in a casserole dish and set aside. Fry the onions, garlic and ginger in the casserole dish, then stir in the tikka masala spice blend and chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 4-5 mins till aromatic and the tomatoes are pulpy. Add the chicken back to the casserole dish with 200ml water, bring to the boil then pop a lid on the dish and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 1 hr, stirring occasionally and adding a splash more water if it seems too dry. Add the spinach, yogurt and coriander stalks when the chicken is tender and gently warm through before serving with the rice.