Chicken Korma

Chicken Korma 

This is a rich korma. It's a perfect dish for a special occasion. I know most people these days are very health conscious so save this recipe for those indulgent times, because recreating it by reducing the cashew nuts and the cream would be extremely unfair to this delectable recipe. I kid you not; this one is a must-try!

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken, cut in 1”cubes
115 grams cashews, blanched and coarsely ground
4 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root paste
3 pods green cardamom, smashed
1 inch cinnamon
1 small bay leaf
2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
5 green chilies, finely chopped
2 medium-sized ripe tomato, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
125 mils chicken stock
100 mils heavy cream, beaten smooth with a fork
100 grams hung yogurt
A pinch of saffron, seeped in 2 tablespoons hot milk
Coriander leaves, chopped, to garnish
7 whole cashews, to garnish

Method:

1. Heat the clarified butter in a saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Halve the 7 whole cashews and golden fry. Drain and keep aside. 
3. Add the smashed cardamom pods to the clarified butter in the pan along with the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Stir and cook for a minute. 
4. Add the onion, garlic paste, ginger paste and stir well. 
5. Let the onions and mixture sauté for a few minutes and then add the garam masala, turmeric powder, green chilies, salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Cook for a few minutes, add the cubed chicken pieces and the chopped tomatoes. 
7. Cook the chicken on high heat for about eight minutes making sure that you occasionally stir the chicken. 
8. When the clarified butter starts to separate, blend the chicken stock, heavy cream, hung yogurt and the ground cashews and gently pour the mixture over the chicken. Stir well. 
9. Cover the pot with a tight lid and let the Korma simmer for another 5 minutes on low to medium heat till chicken is cooked. 
10. Add the saffron milk along with the saffron threads and simmer for a minute more to infuse the flavour. 
11. Garnish with cashews and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with naan, Malabari paratha or roti. Enjoy!!
    
    

Chef’s Notes:

1. Korma's usually taste better if served a minimum of 6 hours after it is cooked. 
2. Just before serving, heat the Korma and plate it in a serving dish and garnish it with fresh chopped coriander and a few whole cashews. 
3. I chose to fry the cashews for garnishing.
4. If you do not have a tight lid for the vessel in which you are cooking the Korma, do not fret, simply put a heavy mortar and/or pestle over the lid to ensure it stays tightly closed.
5. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.