I know winter is still a long way off but the change of seasons got me very excited about bringing out the slow cooker very soon. It's my favourite way to cook. How can you not like throwing a whole lot of things in a bowl, turning a switch and 8 hours later coming home to the smell of a wonderful, tender meal waiting for you? If you've never had meat from a slow cooker then you must try it. It literally melts. You could eat it with a spoon.
This recipe is no different. A lot of slow cooker recipes instruct you to seal the meat in a saucepan first but I just throw it all in.
It's also choc-full of veges making it a healthy Moroccan curry. You can make it vegetarian as well. Just leave out the meat (obviously!), up the veges and add some lentils, beans or extra kidney beans.
Prepare the vegetables by cutting them in to large chunks. You can substitute with other vegetables (except potato) if you like but these are the ones I like most. They're also nice and colourful. Throw them in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Add the meat and the rest of the ingredients. It's best to leave the sour cream to stir through at the end. I often forget it if I leave it til the end so I always put it in with everything else. Add about a mango chutney size jar of water to the pot too.
Mix it all together and try to separate all the meat pieces. If there's not enough liquid add a little more water.
Put the lid on, switch the cooker to low and cook for 8-9 hours. If you're short on time, it can be cooked on high for about 4 hours. When the time is up, I normally take the lid off and switch it to high for half and hour for a little of the liquid to evaporate.
Serve with lemon and parsley couscous and enjoy! It would be very cute served in individual tagines sitting around a low table on lots of cushions.
What about winter are you most looking forward to?
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g 18oz leg lamb boned and cubed
- 2 tablespoon curry paste or powder
- 2 zucchini cut into chunks
- 2 large carrots cut in chunks
- 2 capsicum cut in chunks
- juice of one lemon
- 1 jar mango chutney fruit chutney if mango is unavailable
- 1 small tub natural yoghurt
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 cups dry couscous to serve
Instructions
- Throw everything in the slow cooker (veges first), mix it around, add a little water and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Serve with couscous.
- This curry freezes very well. I've frozen it with the couscous and on its own.
Rachel says
Hi, what sort of curry paste would you recommend for this? I have korma and butter chicken in my fridge!
Claire says
Hi Rachel. I usually just use a plain curry powder so I would go with a combination of your korma and butter chicken. It should be perfect. Happy cooking!
Mary White says
I have made this several times, each time it has been very tasy and my husband (who allegedly doesn't like lamb) loves it. He commented on how good it was smelling as it was cooking!
Claire says
Oh aren't husbands funny. It's one of my favourites and actually about to go in the slow cooker right now!
Charmaine says
Thanks for this recipe that doesn't require any browning. All the recipes that I had found needed some pre -cooking that seemed to defeat the purpose of a slow cooker! I think that I must be the last person in Adelaide to get a slow cooker, so am glad that I found your page!
Claire says
Haha I'm way too lazy for adding the browning step Charmaine. I really dont' think it makes all that much difference and yes I agree it defeats the purpose! You'll wonder how you lived without a slow cooker. Coincidentally I'm just about to put a batch of this in mine!
Suzan Vasica says
Oh I mean thanks. And not adding any cumin just yet!
Suzan Vasica says
Oh no did I say I didn't like it? No no sorry if u got that impression! I actually did like it, just needs a little tweaking lol I tried my friends & I prefer hers as she used the fruit chutney, but still like mine too! Leaving the lid off worked good for me, glad I didn't add any extra! Next day mine somehow was thicker, but my friends is not but hers tastes really nice! I plan on using fruit chutney next time too, still won't add water! I've found that in the slow cooker liquid always appears! Am wondering though if the added water helped make it less sweet? Or mine is sweeter coz maybe mango chutney is sweeter! We haven't given up on this recipe ;-) My friend plans on making hers same next time but just leaving out the added water! Also she actually used Philadelphia Cooking cream in place of yoghurt! I followed ur recipe exactly except for the water! I think I'll use maybe half the chutney on my next attempt ? So sorry if u thought I didn't like it! We're not prepared to give up on this at all! My mum actually had seconds so there u go lol Love the use of couscous, I used the corn one, lightly seasoned! Tanks for the recipe & never fear, it is good ;-)
Claire says
Haha Suzan that's fine! Actually that's a good thing too. Tends to be the rule with slow cooked meals like stews that they taste even better the day after! Ahh I know what you mean about the sweetness. That depends on the chutney that you use. I have used on brand that was super sweet but usually it's not sweet. You could add a little salt which should cut the sweetness. That's a good idea with the Phili! Well I'm very glad you haven't given up on it! :-)
Suzan Vasica says
My friend made this & found it very runny, have no idea how u cooked it in a slow cooker & have it not look runny in the photo! Anyway I also made it but didn't add the water as u said. Turns out there was no need for the water as after a few hours it looked as though I had added water lol I turned the slow cooker on high in the last hour then when 1/2 hour remained, I took the lid off! This helped reduce it but not totally! Not too keen on that much mango chutney in it though! Will reduce the amount to half next time, (yep will make it again) and in my opinion, Moroccan dishes need cumin :-) So wanna add some of that to it! What size jar of mango chutney did u use? My friend used fruit chutney.
Claire says
Hi Suzan. Sorry you didn't like it. The amount of liquid will depend a lot on your veges and meat. Sometimes they release a lot. I usually leave the lid off for half an hour at the end and it thickens up nicely. I don't really have a size of chutney jar, it's usually just whatever I can find. I hope it's better next time!
5 Star Foodie says
A wonderfully delicious lamb curry, I like the mango chutney here, yum!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
Ooh is it that time of the year already? Slow cookers always signify winter to me and this looks like a great recipe! :D
Claire says
Well no not quite but I was too excited to have this again!