2½ tablespoons of butter (or oil, to make this recipe dairy free)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 thumb-size pieces of ginger root, peeled and finely grated
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional; leave out if you have spice-averse kids)
1 398 ml / 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
1 small (156 ml / 5 oz) can tomato paste
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup whipping cream (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
For serving: small slider-sized buns or cooked rice, cilantro, shredded cabbage, mango chutney, sliced cucumber