Simply Nigella Slow Cooker Recipes

Asked by Rose-P. Answered on 27th October 2015

Full question

Hi. I'm loving Simply Nigella! Purchased the recommended slow cooker and have been enjoying using. Favourite so far is Beef Chilli with Bourbon. Can the slow cooker be used for Malaysian Red Curry, Massaman Beef Curry and short ribs? There is no conversion to slow cooker as there is for other recipes? Thanks for an wonderful book that is already well used!

Our answer

Nigella's new book, Simply Nigella, has many slow-cooked dishes and we are thrilled that you are enjoying them. Nigella gave careful consideration to the recipes that could be converted from conventional cooking to slow cooker, and vice-versa, and was keen to offer conversions for as many recipes as possible. The conversions also needed to be workable in most models of slow cooker, and not just the Netherton model. Dishes in slow cookers do tend to be more liquid and when testing the conversions some dishes were not working as well in slow cooker format. In particular dishes that need the sauce to be reduced (such as the Malaysian Red-Cooked Chicken) or needed a very specific amount of liquid after cooking (such as the Massamann Beef Curry, where potatoes are added later and you need enough liquid to cover them).

For the Asian-Flavoured Short Ribs, the ribs are better if cooked in a single layer as there is not that much liquid. So a wide, shallower tin or pan is preferable. The ribs are also quite bulky so it would be more difficult to cook them in a deep (and less wide) slow cooker, and there was also concern that the full quantity of ribs would not fit into some slow cooker pots.