Have to work late and don’t have time to make dinner? Slow cooker to the rescue. Don’t feel like spending hours at the stove carefully watching your pot to make sure it doesn’t boil over or burn? Slow cooker to the rescue. Want to make the easiest, most straightforward dinner ever? Slow cooker to the rescue.

Sensing a theme here? Yep, slow cookers can be pretty amazing. Time-saving, easy and minimal prep (and clean up for that matter).

In my house though they’re a totally underutilized tool. I think this is only the fourth or fifth time all winter that I’ve used my slow cooker and I’m not kidding, every time I pull it out, I say/yell to myself, “WHY DON’T I USE THIS MORE OFTEN!?”

Today I’m showing you how to make a coconut quinoa curry in your slow cooker. That’s right, curry in the slow cooker.

When I think about making a curry, the first thing that comes to mind is not the word “easy”. More often it’s something more along the lines of “it’s way too hard” or “takes way too much time”. But after I thought more about it, I realized that making curry really is actually pretty simple; it’s almost exactly like making chili just with different ingredients.

And while I tend to think curry is delicious served over quinoa, this time I actually I went the chili route and added the quinoa directly into the slow cooker as the curry was cooking. The result? It was thick, hearty and simply delicious.

I will say, this curry is kind of a middle-of-the-road type curry. Not that it tastes basic or anything, but the flavor profiles don’t swing in any cuisine’s direction. I almost feel like it has some influences from all over the place and yet it totally works.

We start with sweet potato, broccoli, onion and chickpeas as the bulk of the curry. You could feel free to swap in any other veggies you want – white potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, eggplant, etc. – just as long as the proportions stay the same, you should be all set.

From there the sauce of the curry is just diced tomatoes and coconut milk. The tomatoes add a nice level of sweetness while the coconut milk makes it thick and creamy. Plus…super simple.

Next we have the quinoa and then we end it with our flavor bombs.

I’m not sure why I called them flavor bombs, but that’s kind of how I see them. If the dish didn’t have them, it would be flat and boring. Add them in and it’s like an explosion of flavor in your mouth.

The flavor bombs in this curry are fresh garlic, fresh ginger, fresh turmeric, tamari, miso and chili flakes. Each ingredient brings its own uniqueness to the table, but they still all work in harmony to make this amazingly aromatic and flavorful dish.

Once you’ve got everything in there, it’s as simple as turning on your cooker and walking away. 4 – 6 hours later, you come back to a thick, creamy coconut curry that will comfort you from head to toe. No more need for takeout in this house, I’ve finally found my most perfect curry!

Your turn…

What’s your favorite recipe to make in the slow cooker? Have you ever tried curry before? I love hearing about what you make in your own kitchen as it often inspires the recipes you see here! And if you end up making this curry for yourself, don’t forget upload a picture to Instagram and tag me (either @simplyquinoa or #simplyquinoa) so I can see!

xx A

 

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