Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

Good Indian food in a slow-cooker? Yep, that's exactly what this is. Also, inexpensive and completely from the pantry? Again, yes, unbelievably. When I want something tasty, inexpensive and done by dinner, this is my new go-to recipe. It's completely hands-free when I make brown rice in my rice cooker. At that point, it's basically take-out because you can eat at any time you'd like. This meal is awesome especially because I've got a new baby in the house!

Tikka Masala

I know I haven't written in awhile and I apologize for that. However, I recently have found inspiration in a new cookbook called How to Cook Indian by Sanjeev Kapoor. The flavors are huge and comforting and the texture is absolutely luscious. I served this with some homemade garlic naan and spiced brown rice. You can easily make your own spiced brown rice by adding 5 whole cardamom pods, 5 whole cloves, and 2 cinnamon sticks to your pot of rice—the result smells like dessert! It would probably make a lovely rice pudding as well.

Potato and Chickpea Curry

It's been awhile since I made any sort of Indian cuisine. I was inspired while eating Tasty Bite's Bombay Potatoes. It's a pretty simple, vegetarian, and delicious entreé that can be customized in a number of ways. To the vegetables, you could add cauliflower, peas, or fresh diced tomatoes—whatever your heart desires, really.

Chicken Curry (Murgh Kari)

There's nothing better than a pot of hearty, spicy chicken curry to warm the spirit on a gloomy winter day. This amazing recipe is adapted from the Cook's Illustrated book, The Best International Recipe. With this recipe, it is very important to have your ingredients "pot ready"—all prepped and ready to go.