Spice Mode Coconut Chicken Masala with Curried Veggies & Basmati Rice

Anyone else out there a sucker for beautiful jars and packaging? Well, when I saw these gorgeous Spice Mode items at Whole Foods the other day I couldn't help but add them to the cart. Then my eyes wandered down the aisle to the cans of coconut milk and immediately my recipe brain started swirling. The idea of mixing the sweet creamy coconut milk with the deep and robust flavors from my spice mode items along with warm fluffy rice was definitely going to be a home run. Once home I did a bit more research and found out that these locally made products (shout out Chi-town!) are vegan, paleo, non-GMO, all natural, and gluten-free! So without further ado, I share with you this simple, flavorful taste of India!

What I used: (for 2 people)

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 jar Spice Mode Masala Sauce
1/3 can of full-fat coconut milk
1 small yellow onion diced
1 large zucchini (cut long ways, then into half moons)
1/2 tbsp Spice Mode Curry Seasoning
1 Package of Trader Joe's Frozen Basmati Rice
1 lemon (juice & zest)

How To:

Marinate your chicken in lemon juice, lemon zest and the coconut milk overnight or for at least a couple of hours in the fridge.
Brown the chicken thighs (optional first step) then add them to the slow cooker with the masala sauce and set to low for about 6 hours or high for 4. If you brown them, the chicken will cook pretty quickly so just keep that in mind.
For the veggies, saute the onion and zucchini on high heat in a drizzle of oil until golden. Then add the curry spice mix and finish cooking on low heat.
Cook the frozen rice per the instructions (microwave for 3-4 minutes)
Serve up hot (I also added some crispy roasted potatoes that I had on hand and it was a yummy salty addition).