CHICKEN KORMA
My favorite Indian dish is Chicken Korma. Try as I might, I never quite get it to taste as good as my local Indian restaurant, Bombay, but I’ve been working on my recipe for years, so this is pretty close. I like to serve it with some basmati rice on the side.
INGREDIENTS
FOR MARINADE
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs—cut into 1” cubes
4 tablespoons yogurt
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
FOR KORMA
4 tablespoons ghee or butter
1 large onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
6 almonds
6 cashews
¼ cup yogurt
Pinch of saffron (optional)
½ teaspoon turmeric
Kosher salt
1(14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
2 cups cooked basmati rice
Chopped parsley for garnish
Slivered almonds for garnish
DIRECTIONS
FOR MARINADE
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, salt and chili powder. Mix together and pour into Ziploc bag. Add in the chicken pieces and massage. Store in refrigerator over night.
FOR KORMA
Melt 2 tablespoons of ghee or butter in a dutch oven. Sauté onion until it starts to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, garam masala, salt, chili powder, black pepper, almonds and cashews and sauté for an additional four minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Pour the onion mixture into a blender. Add ¼ cup of yogurt and blend. Set aside.
In the same dutch oven, melt the remaining ghee or butter on medium heat. Pour in the chicken with all the marinade and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the saffron (if using), turmeric and salt to taste. Add in the onion mixture and coconut milk. Fill the empty can of coconut milk with water and add it to the pot, stirring to make sure there aren’t any lumps. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve with basmati rice on the side and garnish chopped parsley and slivered almonds.