Chicken Tikka Masala

1. Season the chicken breasts generously with the pinches of kosher salt, cumin and coriander on both sides. Coat them completely in yoghurt, and place them on a metal cooling rack placed inside of an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet (use one with a rim).
2. Broil the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side, until slightly blackened in spots. Remove from the oven and set aside.
3. Dice the onion.
4. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the diced onion. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.
5. While the onion is cooking, mince the garlic and ginger, and de-seed and mince the chili pepper. Add them to the softened onions along with the tablespoon of salt. Cook for another minute or two, until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
6. Add the garam masala and cook for about one minute, stirring constantly so that the spice doesn’t burn.
7. Add the can of crushed tomatoes (alternately, you can use diced tomatoes for a lighter and chunkier sauce or pureed tomatoes for a thicker, smoother sauce). Scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze it, add the sugar, and simmer the sauce over medium heat for about 10 minutes. You can cover the pot partially to avoid splattering if you’d like.
8. Chop the broiled chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks.
9. Add the heavy cream and chicken to the tomato sauce. Cook over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and re-season if needed.
10. Stir in the cilantro and serve over rice!