D. Moore
In this series of Indian-inspired recipes featuring amchur powder, this recipe is from the internet that I modified a bit. I made some changes to suit my tastes like adding a little sugar, reducing the red pepper, garnishing with coconut, and serving it with vegetables.
Korma has its roots in the Mughlai cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. A characteristic Mughal dish can be traced back to the 16th century and to the Mughal incursions into the region. Classically, a korma is defined as a dish where meat or vegetables are braised with yogurt, cream, or stock. There is a difference between the North Indian and South Indian Korma. In Northern India, the korma is a mild, yet spicy white curry. In Southern India, a korma consists of a tomato-based gravy which is very hot and spicy.
The style of cooking for korma, in the olden days, was probably the main reason for its incredible taste. It was cooked in mud pots over a ‘chulha’ (a mud stove, with wood as fuel, usually found outside the house). Even nowadays, most rural population in India continues to cook in this traditional fashion.
Amchur Chicken Korma
Ingredients
- ½ tsp Kaffir powder or 2 fresh kaffir lime leaves
- ½ tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 Star anise
- ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Caradmom seeds
- 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- ⅛ tsp Crushed red pepper
- 1 tbsp Amchur (mango) powder
- ½ oz Fresh ginger
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 2 oz Almond slivers
- 1 tbsp Ghee or coconut oil
- 1 small Onion diced
- 7 oz Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cubed
- 9 oz Vegetables – cauliflower, peas, broccoli, sliced carrots
- 1 cup Boiling water
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 large Ripe tomato chopped
- 1 tsp Brown sugar
- ⅛ cup Sliced almonds toasted
- 1 Green onion sliced
- ¼ cup Coconut flakes
Instructions
- Place the ground spices in a lidded saucepan.
- Grind the whole spices with a mortar and pestle then add to the saucepan.
- Finely chop the ginger and garlic and add to the saucepan.
- Grate the almonds in a garlic grater to a fine powder and add to the saucepan.
- Heat the spices for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the oil and onions and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Cut the chicken into ¾ inch cubes.
- Add the chicken to the spices, coat, and fry for 2 minutes to brown the chicken.
- Add the vegetables, boiling water, tomato paste, tomatoes, and brown sugar.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes till the sauce thickens.
- Garnish with toasted almonds, green onion, or coconut flakes.
- Serve with rice or naan or Raman noodles.