CrockPot Curried Chicken with Cauliflower and Chickpeas

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (I used breasts)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil, but the original recipe suggested canola)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1/3 to 1/2 cup prepared curry paste
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk plain yogurt (regular yogurt, not Greek yogurt)
1 head cauliflower, broken into large florets
2 (16-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Spray the CrockPot insert with cooking spray (it cleans-up a lot easier later if you do this). I defrosted my fully-frozen chicken breasts in the microwave until they were mostly thawed, but they were still partially frozen when I put them in. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then pour the lentils on top.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the oil; add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the curry paste and cook about 2 minutes more. Whisk the broth into the pan, then whisk in the yogurt until fully incorporated. (I found it was easier to pour the broth mixture into a large bowl and then add the yogurt, but you can keep everything in the skillet if you don’t want to wash multiple dishes.) Pour the liquid into the CrockPot over the chicken and lentils.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours. Halfway through cooking time, add the cauliflower and chickpeas.

(Note: After the cooking time ended, I lifted out the top layer of cauliflower and fished out the chunks of chicken from the bottom of the pot, shredding them with a knife and fork. Return everything to the CrockPot and stir well.)

Top the curry with freshly torn cilantro