what's for dinner tonight {crockpot chicken tikka masala}.

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chicken tikka masala is seriously one of my favorite foods.  ever.

when we lived in texas, we lived in an area that was densely populated by indian people.  bollywood movies played at the movie theater up the street and we were surrounded by indian restaurants with delicious food.  when i was on staff at our church, one of my coworkers and good friend, marilyn, introduced me to a little indian cafe nearby.  whenever we went there for lunch it just made my day.  they had an amazing buffet and marilyn was an indian food expert, so she would tell me what everything was and what to try.  seriously; the perfect way to get introduced to a different cuisine.  we would have the best talks over our delicious lunches, warm naan and glasses of iced tea.

i miss those times!

i quickly learned my favorite dish was chicken tikka masala.  so so good.  if you've been scared to try indian food, this would be your perfect introductory dish.  it's tender chicken cooked in a creamy, spicy tomato based sauce with cilantro and yogurt.  it's super yummy served with rice and some buttery naan.  

my mouth is watering.

i found this recipe a while ago on the weight watchers website and have been wanting to try it for a while now.  i found it a bit difficult to track down some of the spices i needed... i ended up hitting up our local healthfood store and found everything i needed for this dish.  and for super cheap!  great hint for spices: buy out of those bulk bins!

let me just say: this isn't nearly as delicious as a good indian restaurant, but it definitely is a good, homemade (and healthy) substitute.  and now, for the recipe...

crockpot chicken tikka masala

* 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
* 1 small onion, minced
* 1 T. garlic, minced
* 1 T. ginger, minced
* 2 T. garam masala
* 1 T. brown sugar
* 1/2 t. ground cumin
* 1/2 t. ground coriander
* 2 lbs. chicken breast (you could use thighs, but i prefer boneless chicken breasts for all my dishes!)
* 1 T. salt
* 1/2 c. plain lowfat greek yogurt
* 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

- combine all ingredients in crockpot, except yogurt and cilantro.  cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.
- turn off heat and stir in yogurt and cilantro.

that's it!  super easy.  we like ours with brown rice and homemade naan.  delicious.
enjoy!