Chickpea Tikka Masala

Tikka masala is a sauce recipe more than a curry recipe, and it stands or falls on two things: how far you brown the onion, and how smooth the cream is.

Chickpeas take the place of the marinated protein and hold their shape through the simmer.

The cashew cream is what makes this read as tikka masala rather than as a chickpea curry, and it costs ten minutes of soaking.

Made a day ahead it is better still, because the spices have time to settle into the sauce.