Grape Leaves stuffed with Meat and Rice

Grape leaves are one of the most delicious, traditional and complicated Middle Eastern dishes out there. This dish is lovingly referred to as yabraa, yabraq, waraq einab, dawali, dolmadas...each country calls it something different but everyone agrees that it is AMAZING. In this post I have tried to simplify the process as much as possible, and although this meal does not conform to the SavvyChef mantra of simple meal prep, its just too yummy not to share :) Luckily the ingredients are fairly simple, and the actual effort comes in the preparation.

This post has been almost a year in the making because I needed to cook it AMPLE times to ensure my ratios are absolute perfection before I encourage you to spend hours on preparation. There are almost no proper measurements available for exactly how much rice/meat/grape leaf ratio to prepare so you are not left with extra filling, and in this recipe I have finally accomplished that. My family thanks all the readers who have been urging me to complete a post on this recipe because of all the times they've eaten the tester meals ;)

There are many varieties for grape leaves, and each country in the Middle East (as well as Turkey, Greece...) prepares them differently. I am biased to the Syrian way, specifically the Damascene method. These grape leaves are succulent and juicy, stuffed with a seasoned rice and meat filling and then cooked until the leaf is fork tender in a tangy lemon and garlic sauce. This is my all time favorite meal, and I would eat it everyday if I could.

I highly recommend you read through the whole post before you begin to let you know what to expect as you go along.

Tips to ensure a smoother experience:
1. Have all of your spices and ingredients out and ready before you begin. Once you start mixing the filling with your hands it will be difficult to open cabinets and reach for things.
2. Block off a span of 2-3 hours (hopefully it won't take 3 hours) to complete this project, especially if it is your first time. I realize this is a large amount of time and it is difficult to do this with work/little children/other commitments, but if possible it makes a difference.
3. If it is your first time attempting grape leaves, either start in the morning or have a back up for that night's dinner. Plan on wrapping the grape leaves on one day and cooking the next (especially if you are going to slow cook them). This is what I do and it reduces the stress involved with needing to finish quickly.
4. Do not be discouraged if yours are not all the same size or if they look messy. The important thing is to keep the meat and rice mixture inside the grape leaf so it does not get out while cooking, and you will get the hang of it as you go along. You will get faster and your wrapped grape leaves will be neater with experience. There is a huge learning curve for this dish.
5. If you can get others in on this project it will add speed and fun! Traditionally people sat around together to wrap grape leaves and talked and shared jokes as they did so, which takes the tediousness out of the process and provides a fun experience.

Serves 6 as main entree

Ingredients
---------------
-2 1/2 cups calrose rice (short grain)
-2 1/2 tablespoons safflower threads (similar to saffron)
-1 pound ground beef or lamb, a higher fat content will yield better flavor (2 cups)
-1 tablespoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
-2 tablespoons all spice
-2 tablespoons oil or clarified butter (ghee)
-up to 1/4 cup water (if your meat is of a higher fat content you will need less water)
-16 ounce jar of grape leaves, drained and rinsed

-2 pounds lamb or beef steaks (preferably bone-in and with a layer of fat)
-1 tablespoon lemon pepper (optional)

-1 cup peeled whole garlic cloves
-1 cup lemon juice
-4 cups water
-1 tablespoon salt
-2 tablespoons lemon pepper (optional, this provides an extra tang)

Optional:
-2 cups frozen artichoke bottoms
-11 ounces frozen green broad/fava beans
-1 cup sliced potato rounds
--Drizzle of oil or ghee

To make
------------
-Open the jar of grape leaves and carefully remove leaves. Place them in a large bowl with water to soak and rinse out any lingering dirt. I leave these for about an hour then rinse them in a strainer.
-While the grape leaves are soaking, fill another bowl with water and soak rice for an hour. Drain, rinse with WARM WATER and set aside.
-Using the same bowl used to soak rice (I hate extra dish-washing) place the strained rice and add the safflower threads, grinding them with the palm of your hand to break up. Mix them into the rice mixture to give your rice a yellow color. Add the remaining filling ingredients (ground beef/lamb, salt, pepper, all spice, oil and water) and using your hands, thoroughly massage all the ingredients together until they are well mixed. You want your mixture to be slightly "wet" either by oil or water. When adding the water add slowly and use what you need until the mixture clumps together and doesn't stick to your hands.
-Set up a clean work station and remove any large stems from your grape leaves. I use kitchen shears to quickly snip the tips off large stems.
-Arrange an assembly line of grape leaves, with the stem facing towards you and the pointy part of the leaf facing away (the smooth part of the grape leaf is what lays on the table, and the rough side with all the small stems is facing upwards).
-Place about 1 teaspoon to 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling (depending on the size of your leaf) onto the lower middle half of each grape leaf and arrange into a thin line. Place the filling about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the stem and 1/2 inch in from the left and right of the edge of the leaf, leaving more space between the filling and the top of leaf for when you will fold it up.
-Fold over the bottom of the leaf to cover the rice mixture, then bring in the left and right sides of the leaf in over the rice mixture as well. Then slowly wrap the grape leaf towards the tip of the leaf (rolling away from your direction), tucking in the edges as you go along. (SEE TUTORIAL PICTURES AT THE END OF THIS POST)
-Repeat the process until you have wrapped all of your grape leaves. You will get the hang of it as you go along. Place the grape leaves on a platter as you work, keeping the smaller grape leaves separate.
-Sprinkle your steaks with lemon pepper (or just salt and pepper) and sear them in a skillet until a browned layer forms, about 2 minutes on each side. If you are using a pressure cooker to make your grape leaves use that pot to sear the steak and leave them inside. If you are using a slow cooker after you have seared the steaks transfer them to the slow cooker pot and arrange in a flat layer.
-Sprinkle about 1/4 of your garlic cloves over the seared steaks. Layer your optional toppings over the steak . I place the green broad beans first and then the artichoke bottoms, alternating with more garlic after each layer, leaving only a few cloves.
-Carefully arrange the grape leaves, placing the smaller grape leaves first and working your way around the pot in a tight layer. Pack them firmly and end with your largest grape leaves. Sprinkle any remaining garlic on top. Sprinkle the salt and optional lemon pepper, then pour the lemon juice and water evenly over the top. You can add an optional drizzle of oil or ghee if your steaks are not fatty enough.
-Place a flat HEAT-PROOF plate over the grape leaves and a heavier object to weigh down the leaves and keep them in place. Years ago a friend of mine went to the beach and found a bunch of well sized flat and heavy rocks that were perfect for this. I still use mine every time even though I have the 'proper' heavy plate from Syria. Get creative with what you can use, you are looking for anything that will prevent the wrapped leaves from floating around the liquid and opening up as they cook.
-Cover your SLOWCOOKER and cook the grape leaves on high heat for 8 hours. If cooking in a PRESSURE COOKER you will cook on medium heat for about 2 hours after the pot is pressurized. If cooking in a REGULAR STOVE TOP pot you will cook anywhere from 2 1/2 to 4 hours on medium heat.
-The grape leaves have finished cooking when their leaf gets tender and the rice is cooked and fluffy on the inside. If your water dries up feel free to add a little more and adjust the lemon/salt content.
-Once tender and cooked through, uncover your pot and carefully tilt over a shatter-proof bowl to drain the liquid.
-Once the liquid is drained place a large platter over your pot (use something that sits flat on top of the pot) and quickly flip the pot over so the contents come onto the plate. Wait a moment to make sure everything has come off from the inside of the pot and remove your pot, taking care for the steam that will emerge as you do so.
-Serve with the extra liquid on the side, yogurt and warm pita bread.
-ENJOY! You deserve it after your hard efforts!



TUTORIAL PICTURES:

Step 1: Prepare the filling. The color of the rice when washed with WARM water and mixed with safflower (before meat and other spices are mixed in)

Step 2: Lay out your grape leaves and arrange the filling

Place the filling in the center

Step 3: Fold the edges of the grape leaf up from the bottom

Step 4: Fold the edges of the grape leaf in from the left and the right

Step 5: Start rolling the grape leaf upwards, away from you

Step 6: The finished product, with all the filling tucked tightly into the grape leaf

Step 7: Sear the steaks until you get a nice color

Step 8: Layer the steaks in your pot and add the optional fillings (these are artichoke bottoms)

Step 9: Layer the grape leaves, making sure to pack them tightly to each other and sprinkle the garlic around

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Lemon Garlic Chicken and Potatoes (Jaj iw Batata)

I learned to make this from my grandmother in Syria many years ago. Every time I make it I feel a little nostalgic about childhood summers when she cooked it for us and I'm proud to prepare it for my own children now. Of course I've adapted it slightly to save preparation time, but it still tastes just like my grandma's :)

This is a simpler version of my popular sheesh tawooq recipe because everything gets thrown into one pot and its ready to eat in about 30 minutes. No special produce is required, just some chicken, potatoes, garlic and lemon...ingredients which are pantry staples for most of us.  I make this on nights when I'm pressed for time and my ingredients are limited. Of course squeezing fresh lemons is a more natural way to go, but when I'm in a pinch I've used bottled lemon juice and I'll tell you there's no shame in that game (although my Grandma would probably disown me if she found out I've done this because she's so authentic and natural in her cooking that she even prepares her own red pepper paste...)

This is a great dish for dinner parties because you can prepare it the night before and just place it in the fridge until you're ready to cook it. You can also use your slow cooker, following the same directions except increasing the cooking time to 4-6 hours. 

Ready to cook :)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
---------------
-2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
-2 pounds gold potatoes (or russet, but you need to peel those first)
-1 cup lemon juice (you can add 1/2 cup extra if you like a strong lemon tang)
-1/2 cup minced garlic
-2 tablespoons red pepper paste (found in the ethnic section of large markets or in most Middle Eastern stores)
-1 tablespoon ground coriander
-1 tablespoon lemon pepper (optional)
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup olive oil
-4 cups water

To make
-----------
-Cut chicken breast into 1 inch cubes and place in pressure cooker (you can make this in a regular pot but increase the cook time to about 40 minutes or until chicken and potatoes are tender.)
-Wash and cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes and add to pot.
-Add lemon juice, minced garlic, red pepper paste, coriander, lemon pepper, salt, olive oil and water.
-Cover pot and pressurize. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 25 minutes.
-Release pressure from your pot,  uncover and stir gently. If you have too little sauce add some water. This is also a good time to adjust the lemon taste by adding more if you need it.
-Serve with pita bread and enjoy!

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Mediterranean Lentil Soup

Syrian cooking does not include many varieties of soup, possibly because most of the dishes are 'soupy' and served with rice. However, this is a very traditional soup (with my little twists of course!) and is often served with kibbeh. I like to prepare a pot of this at the beginning of the week and heat some up for a quick lunch or after school meal. It is common to add shredded beef to the soup but in an effort to 'health-ify'  our food I almost never do that. Using vegetable broth will make this delicious soup vegan and I'm seriously in love with the high fiber and protein content in lentils! This soup is so easy to customize...feel free to add some leafy greens or celery...I like to switch up my additions and if I puree the soup at the end no one ever knows ;) 

Serves 6

Ingredients

--------------

-1 teaspoon olive oil

-1 medium onion, chopped into small cubes (about 1 cup)
-1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or a spice mix called "panch puran" which consists of fenugreek, mustard, fennel, black caraway and cumin seeds)

-3 cloves of garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

-1 cup small red lentils

-1 cup shredded or finely diced sweet potato (or carrots)

-2 tablespoons uncooked rice

-6 cups broth (you may need 1 more cup if your heat is too high as the lentils cook)
-1 teaspoon ground coriander
-1 teaspoon ground or fresh ginger
-optional: 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

-salt to taste

Optional garnishes: 
-lemon wedges 
-fresh parsley or mint leaves
-pita chips

To Make

------------

-Heat oil in a deep pot and add onions and cumin seeds. Sauté until onions are translucent, then add garlic and continue to sauté until onion and garlic have browned. 

-Add lentils, carrots, rice, broth, coriander and ginger (plus optional lemon pepper) and bring to a boil. Taste the broth mixture and add salt as needed. Once boiling, give the mixture a stir and then place the lid on the pot and turn heat to low. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so as the lentils will settle on the bottom as they cook. If your mixture looks too thick, add more broth. The soup is ready when the lentils and carrots are soft. The ingredients will have cooked together and will have sort of 'melted' into the broth. You can either puree the soup for a smooth texture or keep it as is for a chunky consistency. I like to leave it slightly chunky.

-Serve with optional garnishes.
-Enjoy!

*You can easily make this in a slow cooker by throwing all the ingredients together and cooking on low for about 3-4 hours*

*If you are going to reheat the soup you will probably need to add a little water or broth because the lentils will cause the soup to thicken when cooled*

Warm up this winter season with some of my other SOUP recipes...I'm a huge fan of all them! 

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Pumpkin Spiced Chili

I craved a hearty chili for several weeks before making this. Normally I'm not a huge fan of beans, but this year I'm liking them more and more. I considered making this dish completely vegetarian, but a true chili recipe has to include a meat! Feel free to replace this with ground turkey, chicken, tofu, pieces of pumpkin, sweet potato or butternut squash. I think it would still taste delicious, but it just perfectly hit the spot for us with ground beef. I served this with homemade pumpkin cornbread and it was a meal that no one complained about...which in a house with 3 little ones is a rare occurrence! They especially loved the idea of customizing their own bowls and got creative with their combinations.

Chili is even more flavorful the next day and this is a GREAT slow cooker recipe! After browning the onions, garlic and ground beef transfer to a slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer on low for a couple hours while you go about your day knowing that magic is taking place in your kitchen ;) If you are reheating the next day add a little water to thin out the chili as the beans will have soaked up the extra liquid and the flavors will be quite intense.

Serves about 4

Ingredients
----------------
-1 tablespoon oil
-1 cup chopped onion (about half of a large onion)
-5 garlic cloves
-1 tablespoon cumin seeds
-1/2 pound ground beef (I used 98% lean)
-2 tablespoons chili powder
-1 tablespoon coriander
-1/2 tablespoon all spice
-1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
-1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (a mixture of nutmeg, allspice, lemon peel, cloves and cinnamon)
-3 large tomatoes (or 1.5 cups canned tomato sauce)
-1 cup water (plus up to 1 cup more if your sauce is too thick)
-15 ounce can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans) drained and rinsed
-2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (optional...this adds more nutrition and gives the chili sauce a silky texture but is not critical for flavor)

Optional topping ideas
---------------------------
-Greek yogurt or sour cream
-shredded cheddar cheese
-cilantro
-diced tomato
-green onions
-avocado
-corn chips
-cornbread


To make
-----------

Browning the onions and toasting the cumin seeds

-Heat a dutch oven (ceramic pot...or any other pot) for a few minutes until it gets hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and let it heat for about 30 seconds.
-Add onion and let it cook for about 2 minutes on medium high heat
-Using a food processor, pulverize the garlic and add to onions.
-Add cumin seeds and continue sauteing until the garlic and cumin seeds become fragrant and the onions are soft.
-Add ground beef, chili powder, coriander, all spice, ground ginger and pumpkin pie spice and cook meat for about 5 minutes. You don't want to over brown the beef. Just cook it until the juices run clear and don't break it up too finely as you cook it.
-Wash tomatoes and chop into 4 large chunks. Place in food processor and pulverize until they are saucy. Add the tomato puree to the ground beef. Place the cup of water in the food processor and swirl it around to get the remained tomato puree and bits of garlic, then add the water to the pot.
-Add the drained and rinsed can of cannellini beans to the meat and tomato mixture.
-Add the pumpkin puree and stir. Taste the chili and adjust the seasonings to your liking. This is a good time to add salt.
-Lower the heat, cover the pot and let your chili simmer for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is as thick as you like it and the beans and meat are soft.
-Top however you'd like and serve.
-Enjoy!

Pumpkin cornbread was the perfect side to soak up the chili sauce :)

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Kabobs and Potatoes in a Tomato Cilantro Sauce

Super easy. Super yummy. This is an altered Syrian dish. I personally like this version a LOT more than the classic. The additions are just cilantro and potatoes. Small change but big result ;-)

Ingredients

------------

-1 pound ground beef

-1 onion, quartered

-1 tablespoon allspice

-salt and pepper

-1 cup parsley

-1 large onion, chopped into strips

-1 large Yukon gold potato, washed and cut into strips

-1 large can tomato sauce

-1 bunch cilantro, minced

Assembly

----------

-Mix ground beef and onion with allspice, parsley and salt in a food processor until the onion in pureed and mixed with the beef. Shape into 2 inch long log shaped patties.

-Heat a pot and brown kabobs until they are halfway cooked. In the same pot, caramelize onions.

-Add onions and kabobs into a slow cooker and layer potatoes, tomato sauce and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 hours on low or 2 hours on high. Serve with pita bread or white rice.

Morrocan Honey Chicken Tagine with Raisins

My friend Bushra made this for a recent gathering and it was so flavorful and unique. Luckily it was also very easy to put together, and therefore it became SavvyChef blog worthy!

She cooks this either in a tagine or a regular pot. It is a GREAT dish for the slow cooker because it is supposed to simmer for a long time. As it simmers the sauce thickens and the flavors intensify.

If you're looking for a unique dish to try this is it! I'm not a huge fan of raisins but their texture changes as they cook and they are just so soft and yummy. I made this dish for a dinner party and my guests loved it! Because of the cinnamon flavor and the fact that it cooked in the slow cooker I felt like it was such a great dish to welcome the fall season!

This serves about 3-4 adults.

Ingredients

------------

-1 pound chicken thighs or breast tenders

-1 large onion, chopped into strips

-1 tablespoon butter

-1 tablespoon cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)

-1 tablespoon ginger powder (or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger)

-1 teaspoon turmeric

-1 pinch saffron

-1/2 cup honey

-1/2-3/4 cup black raisins (I also added golden raisins)

-2 cups water

-1/2 cup mixed nuts toasted in cinnamon (optional)

Assembly

----------

-Heat butter in skillet and cook onions until caramelized. Transfer to slow cooker and add chicken, cinnamon stick, ginger, turmeric, saffron, honey, raisins and water. Season lightly with salt.

-Cover and cook 5 hours on low or 2.5 hours on high.

-Serve with optional mixed nuts. These add a nice crunch! Eat with toasted bread or white rice.

**If cooking stovetop, reduce heat to medium low after carmelizing onions and allow chicken and sauce to simmer for 1 hour.**

Thai Coconut Curry

The flavors in this dish are really robust and pronounced, every bite is packed with amazing flavor. I read a bunch of online recipes, and compiled this to accomodate our taste buds and readily available ingredients. The result? Take a wild guess! Better yet, try it for yourself and let me know!

The chunky peanut butter adds bits of peanuts, and adding shredded coconut helps to bring out the coconut flavors without tasting sweet. The lime makes a HUGE difference in this dish, it really emphasizes all the other ingredients.

Ingredients
-------------
-1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
-2 tablespoons oil
-4 diced green onions, whites and greens
-6 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 1 inch piece fresh minced ginger
-1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-1 can bamboo shoots
-1 can coconut milk
-1/4 cup water
-1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
-1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter (chunky is best, but creamy works too)
-1 teaspoon curry paste (optional)
-1 cup spinach (not authentic, but you can't taste it, and it adds nice color)
-1/2 cup packed fresh minced lemongrass (optional, but it makes a difference)
- 4 squeezed limes
-1 cup fresh minced basil

-salt to taste

Assembly
----------
-To make in the slow cooker, add all ingredients except for coconut milk and basil and turn on low for 4 hours. Stir in coconut milk and basil during last 15 minutes of cooking.

Stove top:
-Heat oil in pot. Add chicken, green onions, red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic and cook until chicken is halfway cooked.
-Add salt, coconut milk, water, bamboo shoots, lemongrass, peanut butter, curry paste, lime juice and spinach. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
-Add basil and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve!

Okra Simmered in a Cilantro & Garlic Tomato Sauce (Bamyeh)

I've tried searching Middle Eastern recipes on the internet, and they just don't exist. Unless you have Arabic installed on your computer, and can search for the recipes in that language. Which I don't. So I've decided to post all my Middle Eastern recipes as I make them, although they are not really originals.

This is a really good dish. My 4 year old was eating this and saying "mmm...delicious!" after every bite :)

**This can TOTALLY be made in the slow cooker. Just layer all the ingredients except for the cilantro and minced garlic (which you will add when it is fully cooked), and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.**

Ingredients

------------

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 pound beef stew meat (depending on how much your family likes meat), cut into 1 inch cubes

-s&p to taste
-1 teaspoon coriander
-1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
-1 teaspoon all spice
-optional: 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
-1 package frozen okra

-3 cloves garlic, sliced finely
-1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or lemon juice

-14.5 ounce can tomato sauce

-4-5 cans water

-1 cup finely diced fresh tomato, cut into small cubes OR 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (optional)
-1 bunch cilantro, diced finely
-3 cloves minced garlic

To make

---------

-heat olive oil in pressure cooker. Add stew meat and cook half way through, about 10-15 minutes. Season the meat with coriander, cardamom, allspice and cumin seeds. Add frozen okra and let it defrost in the pot. Take care not to over mix, because okra will mush. Add sliced garlic and pomegranate molasses, and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

-Once okra has defrosted, add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Fill tomato sauce can with water and add to pot. Bring sauce to a boil. Cover pressure cooker. Once it is 'pressured', reduce heat to low and cook for 30-35 minutes.

-Uncover lid and add fresh minced cilantro and fresh minced garlic. Let sauce simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

-Serve with bulghur or rice 

**If you do not have a pressure cooker, increase cook time to about 45-60 minutes, or until meat is tender.**

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Slow Cooker Masala Chicken

 This has been one of the most searched and viewed recipes on my blog...and for good reason! It's ridiculously simple to throw together and the flavor will blow your mind. Tender chicken breast, soft veggies, caramelized onions and a creamy spiced sauce make this the ultimate comfort meal on a busy weeknight or as the star of a dinner party! Like many slow cooked meals, this tastes even BETTER the next day, so leftovers are a plus :)

If preparing in advance, you can place everything in your pot to marinate until the next day and cook fresh for your meal. Alternatively, you can cook it all the day before and reheat in your slow cooker. Of course you can also make this on a stove and it will be ready in about 30 minutes (perfect for those of us who don't always plan ahead!). Customize the flavors to your preference. For a strong flavor of Indian spices, use less (or none) of the half and half. For a creamier sauce and subtle spice flavor, use more!

A huge thank you to my sister Hanna for taking all these beautiful photos :) She's recently become quite the talented chef and photographer...just look at her plated presentation of this dish!

Serves 4-5 adults

Ingredients

--------------
-2 large onions, cut into thin strips
-1/4 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)

-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes

-3 or 4 medium sized potatoes, cubed (peeled or not, I chose to peel)

-1/2 cup chopped carrots

-1 jar (15 oz) Masala simmer sauce (I got mine from Trader Joe's, but it is available in different markets)

-1 cup water

-1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger (or 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons dried ginger)

-2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

-salt to taste

-1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (1 bunch)

-1/2-1 cup half and half (or heavy cream). If using heavy cream use less. The more half+half/cream you use, the more it will dilute the flavor of the spices, but it tastes really delicious! 

To make
-----------
-Saute your sliced onions in oil until they are soft and browned. Set aside 1/2 of the onions for garnish at the end. Do NOT skip sauteing the onions, they add a lot of flavor! 

-Place  the other 1/2 of the sauteed onions, chicken, chopped potatoes, chopped carrots, Masala simmer sauce, water, ginger, garlic and a dash of salt into your slow cooker. Cover and cook for 5 hours on low, or 3 hours on high. (Stovetop cooking time is about 30-40 minutes on medium high heat, until the chicken is tender and the veggies are soft).

-In the last 30 minutes of cooking, uncover lid and taste the salt, adjust to your liking. Add the chopped cilantro, and half +half. 
-When ready to serve, plate and garnish with reserved sauteed onions and additional cilantro. 
-Serve with Pea Ginger Rice
-Enjoy!

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Try these other popular meals!

Musakhan: Middle Eastern Chicken Rolls

One Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

Sheesh Tawooq: Lemon Garlic Chicken and Roasted Potatoes

Savory Slow Cooker Pot Roast

The weather in California is FINALLY starting to cool down, and this pot roast is the greatest thing to eat on a day where you're busy doing stuff but still want a home cooked meal.

This makes enough for two and a half adults with some leftovers.


Ingredients
------------
-1 pound roast meat (I used tri-tip, but any cut will do)
-1 large onion, cut into thick strips
-1 can 'cream of' something soup (I recommend celery or mushroom)
-1/2 can water
-cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamon, whole dried black pepper balls
-roughly 1/2 to 1 cup each of the following (adjust to your preferences):
-potatoes cut into cubes
-baby carrots
-mushrooms sliced in half
-squash cut into cubes
-pumpkin cut into cubes (these were from the fresh ones I had frozen, and I was surprised to see that they had softened in the freezer) If you are using fresh, place this before the mushrooms


To make
---------
-Brown meat and onion stips in a pot until meat has browned on all sides. Season with s&p.
-Transfer meat and onions to slow cooker and add diced potatoes
-Add all the spices, then spread the 'cream of' soup over the meat
-Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or on high for about 2 hours.
-Add the mushrooms, squash and pumpkin on top of the meat after cooking halfway. Do not stir.
If you will not be home, go ahead and layer all the ingredients in the order I listed them from the start.
-Let cook for another 2-3 hours on low. Total cooking time should be anywhere from 5-6 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. The meat and veggies taste best the slower and longer they cook, but take care not to mush the veggies.


*I served with cornbread*

......YUMMY.....!