white girl chicken tikka masala

I probably make some sort of Indian food 3-4 times a month. It should be more than that. It's easy, smells and tastes fantastic, and it's always impressive. Buuuut I'm not Indian so I'm not going to say my shizz is "authentic," unless I'm following a recipe, but it's tasty and my little culinary heart is in the right place. ;)
Chicken Tikka Masala is, to me, like the spaghetti of Indian food. Everyone thinks theirs is the best and you can find it ANYWHERE.  You get the idea. Here's mine.  First rule of food: stay away from premade spice blends. They can be bland and just... just don't buy them, okay? Make them yourself. If you're SUPER ambitious, toast your own whole spices and grind them.  But if you don't want to do that I don't blame you.  I start my CTM (yeah, we're abbreviating it now) with yogurt. I prefer coconut milk yogurt (unsweetened, not vanilla or anything wacky, but that's a given) 

To my yogurt, I add salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, a little cardamom, and a teeeeeeny bit of clove.
No, I don't have measurements. Work it out. I believe in you. I grate onion, garlic, and fresh ginger into aforementioned seasoned yogurt. Then I add my raw chicken. I use boneless skinless thighs, but you could use breasts or tenderloins if you wanted to make it slightly less awesome, totally your call.  Heat a large pot with clarified butter. Not olive oil, not Pam or any of that garbage.  Clarified. Butter. Add in your chicken mixture. Cook over medium high for about 10 minutes. Add in a can of petit diced tomatoes. Cook for another 10-15. Taste. Reseason to your liking. Add a little water to thin it all out, and a touch of lemon juice. Reduce heat to low, simmer for around a half hour. Serve that sucker over rice.