Indian Butter Chicken

This was my attempt at trying to recreate the classic butter chicken from my favorite Indian restaurant. I wanted to make it just a little less buttery but still keep that wonderful spicy flavour. I think I succeeded. This was so good I could of eaten the whole lot to myself.
This recipe is full of spices so hopefully you have a well stocked spice cabinet. You probably have most of them already. Garam Masala is a blend of many different spices and they say every Indian mother has her own special recipe for it. You can also buy it at the grocery store. I found a recipe for a great one online and it tastes wonderful in this so I will share it with you too.
You can easily make this vegetarian by replacing the chicken with either tofu or, if you can find it, an Indian cheese called paneer. It has a similar texture to tofu and does not melt.
When I was making this I didn't really follow a strict recipe so sometimes it's hard to write one up. I just kept tasting it until I thought it was perfect for me. If you want to change things up I encourage you to do so. Sometimes you don't always have everything but there are other ingredients that will work just as well. So experiment and don't worry about exact measurements. As long as it is not to thick or thin and the taste is right that's all that matters.

Garam Masala
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (expensive but you really need this one!)
1 1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

COMBINE in a small, empty, clean container and shake until thoroughly mixed

Indian Butter Chicken
2 or 3 free run or organic chicken breast, cut into bite sized chunks
1 Tbsp or so of vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp of grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 pinch of chili flakes or 1 tsp chili powder
1 bay leaf
3/4 of a 156ml can of tomato paste
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup heavy cream*
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 tsp of lemon juice
1 heaping tbsp of tahini, or cashew butter
1/4 tsp or so of cayenne pepper (however spicy you like it)
Salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh cilantro
Rice
Naan bread

Directions
HEAT a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. When oil is hot add onion and saute for a few minutes or until onions begin to brown. Add butter, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili flakes and bay leaf. Saute one minute more. Add Tomato paste and stir until evenly mixed. Turn heat down to med-low and add yogurt, cream, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, tahini or cashew butter and salt and pepper. Stir well and cover with lid.
HEAT a medium frying pan over medium high heat and add a tablespoons or so of oil. Season chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper and a little sprinkle of garam masala. When pan is hot add chicken and cook until it it nicely browned all over. Add to sauce and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through. About 10 minutes or so.
SERVE over basmati or jasmine rice and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with naan bread.
*Add more cream if you like it creamier.