Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• 1 can (29 ounces) tomato purée
• 1.5 cups plain yoghurt
• 0.5 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4.5 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 2.5 teaspoons salt
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 0.75 teaspoon pepper
• 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
• 1 jalapeño pepper, halved and seeded
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• hot cooked basmati rice
• optional chopped fresh coriander

Method

Bloom your spice-blooming|spices first. Toast the garam masala, cumin, paprika, cayenne and cinnamon in a dry pan over medium heat for 90 seconds — you're after fragrance, not colour. This releases the volatile oils and sharpens the spice profile; skipping it leaves the dish flat. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in the slow cooker on the high setting. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for three minutes until it begins to soften. Add the ginger and garlic — use freshly minced, not powdered — and cook for another minute. The aromatics will perfume the oil visibly. Pour in the tomato purée and stir to coat everything, then add the toasted spices and salt. This base is your foundation; don't rush it.

Cut the chicken into 1.5-inch cubes and add them to the slow cooker along with the yoghurt, jalapeño halves and bay leaf. Stir well — the yoghurt is an aromatics|acidic tenderiser that will keep the meat yielding over the long cook. Switch the slow cooker to low and cover. Cook for four hours. The chicken is ready when it shreds easily under a fork; any longer and it becomes stringy. Remove and discard the jalapeño and bay leaf.

Make a slurry with the cornstarch and heavy cream, whisking until completely smooth — lumps will grit through the finished sauce. Stir this into the curry slowly, then switch the slow cooker to high and cover. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The starch granules will gelatinise and thicken the sauce visibly; you want it to coat a spoon without pooling on the plate. This cream-based-sauces|cream finish mellows the heat and adds richness without breaking down the slow-cooking|slow-cooked flavours.

Serve over hot basmati rice. The rice should be fluffy and just cooked — it will absorb the sauce and carry the spice. Finish with fresh coriander if using. The dish tastes better the next day as the spices migrate through the sauce.