Indian Chicken Korma

prep time:: 20 min
total time:: 1 hr 30 mins

Makes 4 servings

Zoe

Curry is one of the dishes most commonly found in India, though it varies greatly from region to region. The word itself comes from the Indian ‘kari’, meaning sauce. Indian curries are known for their use of rich spices such as coriander, cumin, cardamom and turmeric, most of which are used in a Korma. The Indian korma can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was most probably brought into the North Western parts of India by Mogul invaders. It is one of the milder Indian curries, often incorporating yogurt, coconut cream and sometimes nuts. While it can be served with chicken, lamb or mutton, meat is usually saved for special occasions. The two prevalent religions in India, Hindi which prohibits the eating of beef and the Muslim faith which prohibits the eating of pork, means that most Indians choose to become vegetarian and the majority of the foods in any region will accommodate this.

ingredients

500g boneless chicken (cut into small cubes)
1 1/2 medium onions (225g)
10g ginger (fresh)
1 medium garlic clove
3 cherry tomatoes
1/4 small green pepper
11 tbsp veg/olive oil
1/4 tsp turmeric
4 tsp (30g) of curry paste
3 or 4 green cardamons
2 bay leaves
80g coconut cream
4-5 tsp white sugar
150 ml fresh single cream
2 knobs butter or ghee
Fresh coriander

directions

1
Step 1
2
Cut 1 onion into 1/4’s, cut the tomatoes into 1/2’s, chop the green pepper, pealed ginger, garlic clove, and a little coriander.
3
Step 2
4
Put the above in a small sauce pan together with 4 tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp turmeric, salt and cup of warm water, around 200/250 ml, covered with lid.
5
Step 3
6
Gently boil the vegetables until soft, approximately 15/20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7
Step 4
8
When cooked place in a blender to make into puree.
9
Step 5
10
Heat 7 tbsp of oil in a medium sized sauce pan.
11
Step 6
12
Add cardamom and the bay leaves and slowly fry.
13
Step 7
14
Add rest of the finely sliced onions with salt and cook to soften, stirring repeatedly.
15
Step 8
16
Add the Curry Paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously.
17
Step 9
18
Add the ready blended puree and cook for further 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, covered.
19
Step 10
20
Add the chicken with a little warm water, around 100-125 ml, and on full heat bring to boil and then cook for around 3 to 4 minutes (covered and stirring occasionally).
21
Step 11
22
Back to moderate to low heat, leave to simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
23
Step 12
24
Add the coconut, sugar and the cream and bring to boil then leave to simmer for further 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the required moisture. Add more water if you prefer more sauce or cook on higher heat slightly longer with lid semi opened for thicker sauce.
25
Step 13
26
Once cooking is over add the butter or ghee, stir and leave the curry to settle for 10 to 15 minutes before serving and garnish with a little cream on top.