In the bowl of a food processor, add the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cayenne, garam masala, and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree until smooth. Add the yogurt mixture to a large bowl.
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound out until they are the same Take a fork and prick the chicken thighs all over, to help the marinating processes. Add the chicken to the yogurt marinade and marinate for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.
To make the sauce, warm a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamon, cayenne, and black pepper. Stir the spices around constantly to toast until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee or vegetable oil. Then add the onions and stir to coat. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, until thickened, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon as they cook. Once done, carefully puree the sauce in a blender.
To cook the chicken, heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee or oil a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (you may discard the marinade at this point). Be sure to skim any excess marinade off of the chicken (this will give you a nice browning on the outside when it's cooked). Add the chicken (in batches, if needed). Cook 5 minutes on the first side, flip and cook 4 minutes on the other side. Place the chicken on a plate and cover with foil to rest for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add the chicken to the sauce and toss to coat. Add the lime juice and cilantro, toss again. Serve immediately with rice or naan. Enjoy!
Notes
You can make the sauce the night before while the chicken is marinating. Just heat back up on the stove while chicken is cooking.
You can use unsweetened coconut milk en lieu of the heavy cream, if you like.
Recipe by at https://hapanom.com/chicken-tikka-masala/