British Indian kormas must be right up there with the most popular curry-house curries on the menu. They can be buttery, creamy, sweet and delicious when made exactly to your taste preferences. Cooking from a book like this is what cooking to preference is all about, as when you’re the chef, you can do exactly that. As I am someone who really likes spicy curries, I often cook this up but add a few finely chopped green chillies to the oil at the beginning of the recipe. Most people who enjoy a korma, however, like them sweet and creamy, and just how sweet and creamy you make yours is really down to you. So use this recipe as a guide but feel free to add more sugar or cream as you like. There are several different types of coconut used in this curry.
Blending your sauce will give it a smooth consistency, as in the opposite photograph, but it is not necessary. You could skip this step and simply carry on with the recipe. Only add the stock/water in small amounts until you are happy with the thickness and the chicken is cooked through. Remember that you can continue to cook the sauce down to your preferred consistency.
Discover a world of delicious and easy curry recipes in “The Curry Guy One Pot” by Dan Toombs; get your copy here for an effortless culinary journey.
Chicken Korma
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp ghee or rapeseed, canola oil
- 2.5 cm 1in cinnamon stick
- 3 green cardamom pods, bruised
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- ½ carrot, grated
- 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 2 tbsp unseasoned passata
- 2 tbsp ground almonds
- 2 tbsp coconut milk powder, see alternatives on page 11
- 11/2 tbsp sugar
- 250 ml 1 cup water or chicken stock
- 100 g 31/2oz block coconut (see alternatives on page 11)
- 800 g 1lb 12oz raw chicken breast, cut into thin slices at an angle
- 1 tsp garam masala, shop-bought or homemade (see page 259)
- 125 ml 1/2 cup single (light) cream
- Salt, to taste
- ½ tsp rose water, optional, but popular in a korma
- coriander, cilantro, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the ghee or oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium–high heat. When bubbling hot, add the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods to infuse for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the chopped onions and grated carrot and fry for about
- 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent. If time allows, you could cook these veggies even longer over a low heat. The slower cooking will bring out their natural sweetness. Just be sure not to brown them. Add the garlic and ginger paste and fry for a further 30 seconds. Stir in the passata, ground almonds, coconut milk powder, sugar and 125ml (1⁄2 cup) of water or chicken stock. Allow the sauce to cool a little and remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick. Blend until really smooth.
- Pour the blended sauce back into the pan. The sauce will be a bit thick, so add another 125ml (1⁄2 cup) of water or chicken stock and bring to a simmer over a medium–high heat. Only stir if the sauce is obviously sticking to the pan. If you’re not using a non-stick pan, the sauce should begin to caramelize on the side of the pan as it cooks. Scrape this back in for added flavour. Add the block coconut and simmer until it melts into the sauce. Then add the sliced chicken and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is too thick, add more water or stock. If you add too much, just cook it down to your desired consistency.
- To finish, add the garam masala and cream and season with salt to taste. If using rose water, stir it in now but be careful as it is really strong. Taste, taste, taste! If you like your korma a little sweeter, you could add more sugar. More creamy? I think you’ve got the idea. Garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) to serve, if liked.
Curry Guy One Pot by Dan Toombs (Quadrille, £27), Photography © Kris Kirkham