Marinate the chicken breasts with the chilli powder, paprika,chilli flakes, cumin, , garlic, lemon juice, yogurt and some salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Boil pasta in a pot of boiling water with some salt, should be al la dente. Drain and set aside. You can reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to add to the sauce.
For the white sauce, warm the milk and cream and set aside. I add them all to a jug and warm them in the microwave just until it's slightly heated. Melt the butter on medium heat. Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk/cream mixture and keep whisking
Allow the sauce to simmer on medium heat until it thickens. Whisk at regular intervals to prevent it from getting lumpy. Season with salt and pepper
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil on medium to high heat and fry the chicken. Just until slightly brown, doesn't have to be fully cooked as it will cook further in the sauce.
I usually wipe the pan I fried the chicken in and make the sauce in the same pan to prevent too many dirty dishes. Once the sauce is ready add the chicken and bring to a boil so the heat can cook the chicken further. Add the pasta and mix it all together. Add the parmesan cheese if using. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.