2 ½poundsskinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs, fat trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2tablespoonsplus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼cupblanched whole almonds
1largeonion, finely chopped
2garlic cloves, minced
1teaspoonminced fresh ginger
1 ½tablespoonsgaram masala
1 ½teaspoonspure chile powder
½teaspooncayenne pepper
1 (35-ounce)cancrushed tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce)cantomato sauce
Pinchof sugar
1cupheavy cream
Instructions
MAKE THE MASALA MARINADE: In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut chicken in 1 inch cubes. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat and refrigerate overnight.
In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground.
In a large pot or deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garam masala, chile powder and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar and season with salt and pepper.
Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the tomato mixture. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Garnish with cilantro.