Chicken Korma (curry)

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs boneless chicken
• 1 large spanish onion
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 cup oil
• 15 whole coriander seeds
• 7 whole cloves
• 3/4 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1/4 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/2 tablespoon salt (or more to taste)
• 8 ounces plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon ground red chili pepper
• 1 pinch green cardamoms, ground
• 1 pinch saffron (optional)
• 1/4 tablespoon kewra essence (optional)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro (optional)

Recipe

• 1 prepare items / mis-en-place before beginning to prepare the dish. timing is everything and you'll have a much more enjoyable time and product if you prep items beforehand!
• 2 slice onion in even 1/8" slices (rings). it's very important to cut them evenly so they cook properly.
• 3 mash 5 garlic cloves (traditionally in a mortar and pestle).
• 4 cut chicken into 1 inch cubes (can use any meat or vegetable such as eggplant).
• 5 in a med-large pot, preferably heavy with a slightly rounded bottom, add the 1 cup of oil (suggest: ½ vegetable, ½ olive).
• 6 heat for a minute or so and then add the sliced onions.
• 7 stir occasionally until onions brown (5-10 mins) but do not burn. adjust heat down towards the end of the cooking process. onions need to be a dark shade of brown and almost crispy. when ready, remove the onions and place to the side leaving the oil in the pan.
• 8 add 15 whole coriander seeds and 7 whole cloves to the oil. stir and let sit for about 45 seconds.
• 9 add the cubed chicken. stir meat until the outer skin appears to be cooked.
• 10 add 8oz of plain yogurt to the pot and bring to a boil.
• 11 in the meantime, add the browned onions to the mortar and pestle and turn into paste.
• 12 keep cooking until meat is done and oil/yogurt coagulates and separates (5-10 mins).
• 13 add the garlic paste and stir.
• 14 add spices: ¾ tablespoon ground coriander, ¼ tablespoon of ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, ¼ tablespoon of turmeric, ½ tablespoon of salt (or more to taste).
• 15 if needed, add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze pan and help prevent sticking.
• 16 add the onion paste to the pot and mix to combine.
• 17 add 1 tablespoon of ground red chili pepper (less for less hot, more if you like it hotter).
• 18 mix together and add small amounts of water gradually to make a pasty sauce. lower heat.
• 19 add a pinch of ground green cardamom and a small pinch of finger-crushed saffron.
• 20 add ¼ tablespoon of kewra essence (optional - this concentrated oil is made from pandanus flowers, and it's used to flavor meats, desserts, and beverages in india).
• 21 add half of the cilantro to the pot and take it off the heat. plate the korma and top/garnish with the remaining cilantro.