Slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Serves 4 to 6

Chicken tikka
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain whole yogurt
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced

Masala sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 serrano chile, seeds, ribs and stem removed, minced (can substitute with a jalapeno)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
½ cup chopped cilantro (not an optional garnish – this is critical to the flavor of the dish)

Spice the Chicken
Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne and a teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Rub both sides of the chicken with that spice mixture. Cover the chicken on a plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30, up to 60 minutes. (Often we do this part first so we prep the rest of the ingredients during this resting period. We treat the resting period as a casual suggestion anyway, often cutting it short of skipping it all together.)

Cook the Sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add half the garlic, half the ginger, the serrano, tomato paste and garam masala to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 or 3 minutes. The mixture should be very fragrant at this point. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the sauce has cooked and thickened a bit, transfer the sauce into a blender and puree until smooth (or use an immersion blender). Return the sauce to the pot. Stir in the cream and return to a simmer and then remove the saucepan from the heat, covering and keeping it warm until serving.

Cook the Chicken and Finish the Dish
While the sauce is being made, whisk the yogurt, 2 tablespoons oil, the other half the garlic and ginger together in bowl. Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the boiler. Using tongs, dip the chicken in the yogurt mixture and then arrange it on a wire rack on a baking sheet. An aluminum foil-covered baking sheet can be used instead. Discard any extra yogurt. Broil the chicken until the thickest parts register 160 on an instant read thermometer and the exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping halfway through. This is a wide range for cook time, but chicken breasts can vary a lot in size, but in our experience the chicken has never been ready until the aforementioned charring has begun.

Removed the cooked chicken from the oven and let it rest 5 minutes before cutting it into bite sized chunks. Stir the chicken into the completed warm sauce, not allowing the sauce to return to a simmer. Stir in the cilantro and salt to taste. Serve over rice, preferably basmati or jasmine.