Bengali Chicken Korma

Kormas are rich . They are dishes created in Mughal courts to honor celebratory occasions . This dish is a result of the fusion of Persian and Indian cooking . It is cooked with a lot of yogurt on low flame and mixed with lightly braised chicken to yield the most melodious of end results . Enjoy this with a a simple vegetable pulao or just a bowl of steamed rice and rest assured , you would have licked your plate clean . The korma from Bengal is finished with a delicate lacing of Kewra water , almond flakes and topped with beautiful caramelized onion birista . Do give it a try and let me know how you like this ....

Things you will need ( Serves 03 adults)

• 500 gms of chicken - large pieces

• 03 tbsp. of ghee

• 03 tbsp. vegetable oil

• 01 bay leaf

• 1 pc black cardamom

• 3 pcs green cardamom + 01 pc cinnamon stick + 02 cloves

• 2 tsp coriander powder

• 3 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

• ½ tsp pepper , ground coarsely

• 06 tbsp. fresh yoghurt

• 03 tbsp. cashew paste

• 01 whole onion , finely sliced

• 2 tsps of kewra water

• 06 -07 almonds blanched in hot water and slivered

Steps to follow :

• Marinade the chicken with salt and keep aside .

• Beat the yoghurt with the pepper powder and keep aside .

• Heat vegetable oil and deep fry the sliced onions , until they are nice and golden. Drain it from the oil and keep aside.

• In the same pan , add 01 tbsp. ghee and braise the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer . Once all the pieces are braised light brown , remove and keep aside.

• Heat the remaining ghee and temper with bay leaf and whole garam masala - To this , add in the Kashmiri red chilli and coriander powder. On low heat, fry the spices for about 30 seconds before adding ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for a further minute and keep stirring to avoid masala from burning .

• To this , add 3 tbsp. of the beaten yoghurt and stir the masala and curd vigorously to avoid the curd from splitting . Cook it off completely before adding another 3 tbsp. of the yogurt - Continue cooking the spices in this manner until the oil separates.

• Lastly , add in the braised chicken pieces.

• Stir and sauté the chicken in the spices for 20 to 30 minutes on low heat and give it a stir at regular intervals .

• Once the chicken is tender, mix in the cashew paste .

• Remove from the gas and stir in the kewra water - garnish with almond flakes and serve.