Put the cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves into the same hot oil. Stir and fry them for a few seconds. Now put in the onions. Stir and fry the onions for 3-4 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Put in the paste from the blender, the cumin, and cayenne. Stir and fry for 2-3 minutes or until the oil seems to separate from the spice mixture and the spices are lightly browned. Add 1 tablespoon of the yoghurt. Stir and fry it for about 30 seconds, or until it is incorporated into the goo. Do all of the yoghurt this way.
Put in the chicken pieces, any liquid that might have accumulated in the chicken bowl, and the salt. Bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and cook gently for 20 minutes. Add the raisins and turn over the chicken pieces. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Add the garam masala. Stir to mix. Spoon off the extra oil if necessary.
The recipe calls for 2T more slivered almonds, grilled to brown and sprinkled over the top, but we've never had the patience to do it. Also, we've used 1.5 lbs of boneless chicken pieces, which we browned like you brown hamburger. The dish was both quicker to make and easier to eat.
Serves 4-6