Chicken Korma with Cashew Paste

Indian chicken korma can be prepared in many different ways. However, the basic foundation remains the same. It is basically a spiced sauce flavored with yogurt, cream and ground cashews or almonds. If you are new to Indian cuisine, it is best to start off with a good Korma. It is mild, not spicy and full of flavors.

Chicken korma is a popular dish in Asian countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Korma has its roots in Mughal cuisine. It was introduced during Mughal invasions of Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh during the 16th century. Although today Korma is regarded as a characteristic Indian dish, however its origin can be traced back to have gotten inspired from Turkish and Persian cuisines.

In this recipe, I have skipped out on the cream and instead made use of just cashew nuts paste in order to impart creaminess to the korma, which also makes it a tad bit healthier. The characteristic of korma is that the meat is braised together with spices, yogurt and nuts paste until you achieve the desired consistency, flavor and texture. You are also free to go ahead and add veggies of your choice, say spinach and turnip!

The smooth and creamy texture of the sauce really makes it a memorable dish. In my house, we usually enjoy it with pulao or rotis.

Ingredients:

Chicken – 750 gms – 1 kg

Onions – 3-4 thinly sliced

Yogurt – 2-3 heaping tbsp

Garlic – 7-8 cloves

Ginger – 1 large piece

Green chilies – 1-2

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tbsp

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tbsp

Cashewnuts paste – of about 15-20 cashews

Coriander leaves – 1 small bunch chopped finely

Salt – as per taste

Method: 

Grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies into a fine paste.

Marinate the chicken overnight with yogurt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger-garlic paste and lemon juice.

Take some oil in a pan.

Fry the thinly sliced onions until golden brown.

Grind the fried onions into a fine paste in a blender.

Add some more oil to the same pan.

Add the fried onion paste and cook it further down for 5 mins.

Once the onion paste is cooked down, add in the marinated chicken.

Stir and cook the chicken for 10-15 mins without adding any water.

After around 15 mins of stirring and cooking, add a little water and the cashew nuts paste. Sprinkle Garam Masala on top. Add salt and mix.

Cover and cook on low heat, until the chicken is fully cooked and you get the desired consistency of the korma. Do a taste test to check the seasoning.

Dish it out, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with pulao or rotis. Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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