The yogurt helps tenderize the chicken; the garlic, ginger, and spices in the marinade infuse it with lots of flavor.

Ingredients:

6 garlic cloves, finely grated (this was a mind-blowing first for me — I never knew you could grate garlic?! — just make sure you have a fine grater, like one you’d use for zesting)
4 teaspoons finely grated, peeled ginger
4 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala (this is the one spice we couldn’t find in our behind-the-times Food Lion)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 container of extra-firm tofu (meat-eaters, you can substitute 2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise)
3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cardamom pods, crushed (I have no idea what a cardamom pod is so I substituted for about a TBL of crushed cardamom)
2 dried chiles de árbol or 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups heavy cream (the next time we may try and cut back on the cream, just for the sake of our waistlines)
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
Steamed basmati rice (for serving)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425.

Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture. <—This is the part we skipped since we were using tofu.

Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. This can be a bit messy. If you have a sous-chef, now would be the time to ask for their assistance. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes.

Add cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 30-40 minutes.

While this is going on, spread the tofu (chopped into 1-inch cubes and patted dry with paper towels) on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes or until crispy on the outside and slightly browned. Set aside. If you’d rather fry your tofu, the kitchn has a great method here. Directions for the chicken—>Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes.

Add tofu (or diced chicken) to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.

Serve with rice and cilantro sprigs.

Do Ahead: Chicken can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Reheat before serving.