Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, mix the plain yogurt, tomato paste, minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, ground turmeric, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, 1 tsp of the salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat well. Let it marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare the rice.