Chicken Korma

Have guests coming home tonight? or are you like me who do not like to prepare the same chicken dish every weekend? Prepare this chicken Korma. This chicken dish is not very heavy yet creamy and flavorful. The cashew nuts and poppy seed paste adds extra richness to this delectable dish. You can also substitute the poppy seed paste with almond paste if not available.

Course: Main course

Cuisine: Indian

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Servings: 5

Ingredients

• 1 Kg chicken cut into curry size pieces
• 2 onions thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon of ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
• 3 tablespoons of yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons of cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons of coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon of red chili powder
• 3-4 green chilies
• 10-12 cashew nuts
• 1 ½ tablespoons of poppy seed
• ¼ cup of chopped coriander leaves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces
• 6 cardamom pods
• 10-12 pepper corns
• 2 star anise
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
• Fresh cream (optional)

Directions

1. Marinade the chicken with ginger and garlic paste, yogurt, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, green chilies and turmeric powder.
2. Soak the poppy seeds in water for half an hour and grind them to a fine paste.
3. Soak the cashew nuts in water.
4. In a kadai/pan take about 2 tablespoons of oil and once the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, peppercorns, star anise and cumin seeds.
5. As you start getting the aroma of the whole spices add the onions and cashew nuts and saute them for a few minutes till the onion turns translucent and then turn off the flame.
6. Let the mixture cool down and transfer the onion and spices to the blender. Make a smooth paste.
7. To the same kadai, add about 1 tablespoon of oil.
8. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken along with the marinade to the kadai and saute the chicken.
9. Now, add the onion paste mixture to kadai and cover and cook the chicken in its own juices. You can add ½ cup of water if required.
10. Continue cooking till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.
11. Add water and let it simmer till you achieve the desired consistency.
12. You can also add fresh cream for a creamier texture.
13. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice, naan or fried rice.

Step by step instructions to prepare chicken korma

Marinade the chicken with ginger and garlic paste, yogurt, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, green chilies and turmeric powder.

Soak the poppy seeds in water for half an hour and grind them to a fine paste. Soak the cashew nuts in water.

In a kadai/pan take about 2 tablespoons of oil and once the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, peppercorns, star anise and cumin seeds.

Add the onions, cashew nuts and saute them for a few minutes till the onion turns translucent and turn off the flame. Let the mixture cool down and transfer the onion and spices to the blender. Make a smooth paste.

To the same kadai, add about 1 tablespoon of oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken along with the marinade to the kadai and saute the chicken. Now, add the onion paste mixture to kadai and cover and cook the chicken in its own juices. You can add ½ cup of water if required.

Continue cooking till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan. Add water and let it simmer till you achieve the desired consistency. You can also add fresh cream for a creamier texture. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice, naan or fried rice.