Thursday, January 5, 2012

Bengali Chicken Korma

This was my favorite food while growing up. The person who taught me how to make it was a family friend.  Kormas are found in many different countries and are made with many different variations. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family does!

         
                                  


Ingredients:


  • 1 whole chicken, skinned and cut up into pieces
  • oil as needed (canola preferred)
  • 3 medium sized onions, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 green or red chillies
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 2-inch piece of ginger
  • 1 cup of yogurt (Greek preferred)
  • 1 cup of light cream (or heavy cream)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3-5 bay leaves
  • 7 whole cardamons (either whole or just the pods, ground)
  • 1 heaping tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2-1 tsp red chilli powder (depending on how spicy you want it)
  • 1 tsp garam masala (homemade preferred)
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp cane sugar



Directions:
  • Cover bottom of shallow pot with oil. Bring to medium heat and then add sliced onions. 
  • Fry onions, stirring often, until they are a golden brown-approximately 7-10 minutes.
  • Once golden, put in a colander and allow to drain completely. Reserve the oil for later.







  • In a mortar and pestle (or a food processor), add salt, ginger, and garlic. Mash into a paste.
  • Add some of the reserved oil (approximately 3 Tbsp) to the same pot . Turn temperature to medium heat and add bay leaves, cardamon, and cinnamon stick. Let sizzle for 1 minute.
  • Add chicken pieces, in a single layer, and brown for 5 minutes on each side.
  • Add ginger/garlic/salt paste. Stir, and allow to cook for 5 more minutes.
  • In a bowl combine yogurt, cream, chillies, and the remainder of the spices. Add to the chicken.
  • Partially cover pot and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
  • Crush half of the fried onions and add to chicken (the rest is reserved for garnish). 
  • Reduce heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and let it simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with remaining onions and serve with basmati rice or naan.








Bon Appétit!