Chicken Korma
One of the most popular Indian curries, though I don't think I've ever ordered this at an Indian restaurant (other than sampling it at a lunch buffet), surprisingly enough. Onions, nuts, and yogurt form the base for the chicken korma -- they are what give it the lovely creamy texture and its aroma. Delicious, creamy, well-balanced, relatively mild, and relatively easy to make as long as you have a powerful blender. Unfortunately my blender is not very strong, and it ended up less creamy and more grainy.
Active Time: 40 min
Total Time: 1 hr
Ingredients
Chicken marinade:
> chicken (1.5 lb)
> yogurt (1/3 cup)
> ginger (1 tsp, grated)
> garlic (3 cloves, minced)
> turmeric (1/4 tsp)
> chili powder (1 tsp)
> garam masala (1 tsp)
> salt (1/2 tsp)
Curry:
> onion (1.5, thinly sliced)
> cashews (6)
> almonds (4)
> yogurt (1/3 cup)
> water (1/2 cup)
> bay leaf (1)
> cloves (3)
> cardamom (1)
> cinnamon (2 inch)
> salt (1/4 tsp)
> garam masala (3/4 tsp)
> coriander powder (1.5 tsp)
> chili powder (1/2 tsp)
> coriander leaves
Instructions
1. Marinade chicken by mixing together chicken, yogurt, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Set aside for at least ~30 minutes, up to overnight.
2. Saute thinly sliced onion over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden brown and caramelized, about ~20 minutes. Let cool.
3. Blend together onions, cashews, almonds, yogurt, and 1/2 cup water until a smooth puree forms.
4. In the same pan, add plenty of oil and the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. Saute the spices for 1 minute.
5. Add the marinaded chicken, and saute over medium heat for ~5-8 minutes, or until the raw smell of ginger and garlic goes away.
6. Add the onion paste, salt, garam masala, coriander powder, and chili powder. Mix until combined, cover, and cook over medium heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
7. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle over some coriander leaves. Serve with rice or the flatbread of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> For the chicken, I prefer bone-in cuts, or cuts that braise/stew well. Here, I used drumsticks and thighs (cut into smaller pieces)
> A powerful blender makes a huge difference with chicken korma. My blender is not great, and the end result was a lot more grainy than it would be with a good blender.
> Korma gets its creamy texture from the yogurt and nut paste -- there is no additional cream or starch to thicken the curry.
> Be patient with the onions. Take care to get them brown and caramelize them well -- that's where much of the aroma comes from.
> In the final cooking process, feel free to adjust the amount of water added depending on your desired consistency. If it's getting too thick, add a bit more water.