Chicken Korma, with its black cumin seeds, coriander and cardamom harkens to its Moghul/Persian roots.
This recipe is a classic. Chicken Korma is indicative of the Moghul cooking of Northern India – marked by silken curries, butter dishes and delicate flavours.
The Moghul influence (Tartars who ruled during the 16th and 17th centuries) is evident in the mosques, temples and tombs of India.
By the way, in Iran, ghorme is a thick sauce of herbs and vegetables often used in stews.
This recipe would be great with Indian Chickpea and Eggplant, Basmati Rice, Spicy Cauliflower or Green Papaya Salad.
CHICKEN KORMA
- A 2" piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 5 tbsps vegetable oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 two-inch piece cinnamon stick
- 6 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1/4 tsp black cumin seeds
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 canned plum tomatoes, chopped pieces
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp table cream
METHOD
- Blend ginger, garlic and 3 tablespoons water into smooth paste.
- Put oil in wide frying pan and set over high heat. When very hot, put in bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamon pods, cloves and cumin seeds. Stir and put in onions. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes or until onions turn brownish.
- Put in paste from blender, ground coriander, ground cumin and fry for a minute. Put in chopped tomatoes and fry for another minute. Put in chicken, chili powder, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to boil. Cover turn heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, turning chicken pieces over now and then.
- Remove cover, add cream and cook on high heat for another 7-8 minutes or until sauce thickened. Stir gently.
SERVE!
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Some of the carbs served with a Moghul meal include leavened bread such as Paratha (whole wheat bread, layered with fat and cooked on a griddle) as well as pooris (deep-fried whole wheat dough) and baqar khani (bread infused with clarified butter).
Other Moghul dishes include rogan josh (lamb braised in a creamy yogurt sauce) and Kabab husaini – minced lamb stuffed with raisins and almonds – as well as samosas, pull-apart kebabs and pilafs
What to serve post-meal? In Moghul tradition, stewed fruit, sherbert, sweetened drinks or perhaps something pistachio-flavoured would be appropriate. Head to your local Indian store to buy some sweets such as barfi (a white, soft milk cake), khurme or gulab jamun (milk solids deep-fried golden brown and soaked in sugar syrup).
Or, check out my Exotic Milk Jelly recipe.
By the way, the Moghuls adored candies and sweetened preserves as well as citrus fruits.
