Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

I have joined the Pinterest bandwagon and I'm hooked. I came across a recipe for a Chicken Tikka Masala  you could make in the slow cooker and thought too good to be true! Now, as usual, I had to make it a fit food - omit the olive oil, heavy cream and rice.

15 oz. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed fat) or chicken breasts

2 c. crushed tomatoes

1 6oz. container of plain Greek yogurt

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1/2 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped (use the whole thing if you like it spicy!)

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger (use jarred if you prefer)

1 c. unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp. corn starch

2 Tbsp Garam Masala

1 Tbsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1-3 tsp cayenne pepper*

2 bay leaves ( I actually didn't have any - but it does call for them!)

fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Her recipe calls for basmati rice, but for the same amount of calories you could have a hefty serving of roasted veggies. This recipe gives you quite a bit of sauce that you can use on the veggies too. I roasted fresh cauliflower, green bell peppers and sweet peas.

In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients except chicken, bay leaves, corn starch and almond milk. Once combined pour half of the mixture into the bottom of your slow cooker. Add diced raw chicken and pour remaining sauce mixture over chicken. Put bay leaves on top (you'll need to remove them before serving). If you want to thicken and cream the sauce you can add 1 tbsp. of corn starch and 1 cup of cold almond milk. Whisk these together and add to slow cooker for the last twenty minutes. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for about 4. Serve over roasted veggies or rice. 

This recipe makes 6 - 1 cup servings. Each cup is 140 calories.

The original recipe calorie content is approximately 2200 total or 365 each yield 6 servings.