Chicken Korma (2nd recipe)

Chicken Korma (2^nd recipe) – A delicious & less spicy korma, goes well with rotis / parathas / pulao …

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients

For the  chicken:

650 g chicken (net weight after cleaning), cut into medium pieces

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water thoroughly. In a wide bowl, marinate chicken  pieces with turmeric powder, red chilli powder  and salt. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

For the coconut paste:

5 tablespoon grated coconut

6 cashew nuts (soak in 2 tablespoon water for 2 hours)

½ teaspoon pepper powder

½ teaspoon saunf powder (fennel powder)

Make a smooth of above ingredients  (along with cashew nut soaked water) in a  small mixer bowl. Keep aside.

For the korma:

1 tablespoon  oil

2 cloves (optional)

2 cinnamon sticks (optional)

2 cardamom (optional)

1 onion, finely sliced (separate each layer)

8 cloves garlic, sliced

½ - inch ginger, thinly sliced

1 green chilli, slit lengthwise

6 curry leaves

¾  teaspoon red chilli powder

1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon tomato puree (optional)

Marinated  chicken  pieces

3/4  teaspoon salt (or to taste)

200 ml water (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

Coconut – cashew nut paste

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves (optional)

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder in 2 tablespoon water and keep aside (spice mix).

In a  pan or a karahi, heat oil  on a medium heat. Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon (optional) and fry on a low heat until fragrant.

Add sliced onions and fry until golden color.

Add  sliced ginger,  garlic  and  green chilli and fry on a medium to  low heat for  3 - 4minute until crisp and golden.

Add  diluted spice mix powder  and  mix well. Fry on a low heat for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes and well combined with other ingredients and water dries up.

Add tomato puree and mix well (optional).

Add marinated  chicken pieces, 1 cup water (200 ml / 8 oz) and adjust salt . Water level should be up to level of chicken pieces. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for  25  - 30 minutes until  almost done / chicken pieces almost cooked.

At this stage, add coconut – cashew nut paste and mix well. Cover again and cook on a low heat for another 10 minutes / until the gravy  slightly thickens / fragrant.  Consume this curry after half an hour. Sprinkle chopped coriander or mint leaves (optional) and serve with Indian breads / pulao …