1. Clean the chicken and cut into bite-size pieces. Peel the garlic and chop very finely (or grate it). Peel the ginger and grate finely. Combine the chopped garlic, grated ginger, ground turmeric, ground cumin, dried cilantro, and garam masala – keep half of it for later (in a well sealing container in the fridge) and add the rest to the chicken. Add yogurt and salt as well to the chicken and mix everything until the chicken is evenly coated. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.

2. Peel the onion and cut into thin wedges. Crush the cardamom pods in a mortar. Chop the cilantro for the sauce. Take the chicken and the spice mix out of the fridge. Keep everything ready for cooking.

3. Heat up a large Dutch oven* with some ghee or oil. Add the onion wedges and sauté until soft and glossy – about 2-3 minutes. Next, add the tomato paste, crushed cardamom pods, chili flakes, and the spice mix from the fridge – cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the mixture has darkened a bit and is fragrant.

4. Add the chunky tomatoes and water, bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add the heavy cream and the chopped cilantro and stir in. Cover the Dutch oven, stirring occasionally, and let the sauce simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Now is a good time to prepare the rice.

5. While the sauce is simmering, heat up a frying pan with some ghee or oil. Fry the chicken in small batches – you want some browning from all sides, but the chicken does not have to be cooked through. Take the chicken out of the frying pan and set it aside on a plate. Fry more chicken until everything is done. Add the chicken to the sauce and let it cook in the sauce for another 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken with cooked basmati rice and chopped cilantro. Alternatively, naan is also nice with the Chicken Tikka Masala. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge up to 2 days and reheated.