Will I ruin the curry??!

[cookingquestion]

Sorry this is obviously not an AIBU but I need a quick answer so posting for traffic!

I've just started to make a chicken curry which I'm going to chuck in the slow cooker for tea tonight. I've used coconut milk for the sauce but it's far too watery! If I add flour to thicken the sauce up will I ruin the curry? Is there anything else I can do to salvage it?!

Thank you!

Op, also put a tea towel over the slow cooker then the lid on. It soaks up the condensation and stops it getting even more watery

I'd use cornflour but mix it into a paste using some of the liquid in your pot first so you can whisk it until smooth.

I always cook the chicken in the spice base first, not separately like on telly. I used the wrong term, browning, what I meant was cooking the meat with the base.

You need to fry the spices in oil to activate the flavour otherwise you'll get that boiled spice taste. Sorry to be pedantic but it's the way I was taught by my parents who owned a curry house! You can shove it in the slow cooker afterwards but the spices and meat need to be fried together first for 10 mins.

This works, also turning it up to high for the last hour with lid off and/or add a little bit of cornflour mixed with water near the end of cooking

Is this right? 300 degrees is a very hot oven, unless you mean Fahrenheit?

Yes of course Fahrenheit 😂

The classical way to thicken a curry is to add finely chopped onions that have slowly browned off (at least 1/2 hour) in oil/ghee.

So it’s 90 and 150 celcius, if it’s easier.

You could add flour but cook it for a couple of minutes with some butter first so you don't get the raw flour taste. When it's cooked slaken it off with some liquid from the curry to avoid lumps. If there's no liquid the curry's thick enough, so don't bother with the flour. I saved a katsu sauce doing this, the recipe had called for far too much water.

Thanks all.

I did think it best to cook the chicken on the hob for a while with the spices etc so the flavours coat the chicken properly and have time to absorb. I'm not sure if this is the best way. This is my first time doing it in the slow cooker so we'll see how it turns out!

It's now simmering away on low and smelling divine. Hopefully it thickens naturally over the next few hours. Will let you all know how it is!

Curry in a slow cooker? The texture mostly comes from browning the onions on a high heat. Nothing worse than undercooked onions floating around in a curry.

I did brown the onions, along with the chicken and the spices, for 10 mins before I added it to the slow cooker.

This is the best way, op! My dad will approve, fry the onions and garlic for 10 mins till soft, then add spices and cook for 10 mins and then add meat. This gives the depth of flavour that Jamie Oliver can't get.

I've definitely done this and with stews 😀