Ingredients

• 700 g chicken thigh in 3 cm pieces700 g
• ½ cup natural yoghurt130 g
• 1½ tbsp curry powder10 g
• 1½ tsp ground cumin4 g
• 1½ tsp paprika4 g
• 60 g butter60 g
• 1 finely diced brown onion150 g
• 4 crushed garlic cloves16 g
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger15 g
• 2 tbsp tomato paste50 g
• 1 × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes400 g
• ⅔ cup thickened cream150 g

Method

1. Mix the chicken with the yoghurt, curry powder, cumin, paprika and a teaspoon of salt. Leave it at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge. The yoghurt tenderises the meat and carries the spice into it.
2. Melt half the butter in a large heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches until coloured on the outside, about 4 minutes a batch. It doesn't need to be cooked through. Set it aside.
3. Lower the heat, add the rest of the butter and the onion. Cook 8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
4. Add the garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then the tomato paste for another minute.
5. Add the tinned tomatoes and 100 ml water. Simmer 10 minutes, then blend until smooth with a stick blender. A smooth sauce is the difference between this and a generic tomato curry.
6. Return the chicken with any resting juices and simmer 10 minutes until cooked through.
7. Stir in the cream, warm it through without boiling, and season. Boiling after the cream goes in can split it.