This is a great recipe! I've made it a few times now, and find that if you're willing to make it *slightly* less healthy, sauteing the onions in 2 tbs butter (until they go translucent,) and then adding the spices and sauteing for another minute or so before adding everything to the crock pot really brings out the flavors of the onions and spices, and prevents the flavors from becoming muddled after a long session in the cooker. Also, if you're a fan of ginger, about 2 inches of fresh ginger, sliced in to strips goes beautifully with the flavors of this dish, and can be added to the sauteed onions, at the same time as the rest of the spices.