Chicken Korma

Hello, I have not written a blog post in years; I have fallen off the wagon.  I thought I would start off the New Year with a blog post of a recipe that I have made repeatedly since I last posted.  It all started when I went to an Indian restaurant in Utah and had some delicious Korma.  The restaurant food was good, but pricey, and the service was subpar.  When I came home, I searched the Internet for a recipe and found this recipe from the blog Favorite Family Recipes.  It has been a hit with my family.  I have no idea about whether this is authentic recipe, but I do know that it makes a delicious meal.

So, it is a long recipe, but well worth the effort.  There are a lot of spices (six) in this recipe, and that is what makes it so good!

Chicken Korma Recipe

Chicken Spice Marinade

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Chicken Korma

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

3 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 medium tomatoes cut into small pieces (or 1 can diced tomatoes)

4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (sometimes I substitute heavy cream)

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

14-ounce can coconut milk

1 teaspoon Garam Masala (see below for a substitute)

Slivered almonds (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Put the marinated chicken into a large fry pan over medium heat until cooked throughout.

2.  In a large saucepan, put the oil, garlic, and ginger over medium heat until it starts to simmer.  Then add the remaining spices (except the salt and Garam Masala) and simmer for another minute.  Then add tomatoes and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the yogurt and blend in with a wire whisk.  Then add the cooked chicken pieces, the water, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

3.  Stir in the coconut milk and the Garam Masala, then simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the sauce become fairly thick.  Serve over Basmati rice.

Garam Masala Substitute

Garam Masala can be pricey, and sometimes hard to find.  I found this substitute on All Recipes, and I have always used it for this Korma.  I keep a little spice bottle of it in my cupboard.

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1-1/2 teaspoons cardamon

1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix all spices together.  place in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.

NOTES:

1.  The original recipe does not contain slivered almonds, but at the Indian Restaurant I went to, they served it with almonds and dates.  I have tried it with dates, but I believe the dates makes the sauce too sweet.

2.  You can find coconut milk at most grocery stores.  I usually buy mine at Costco, and sometimes they have a sale on it.  

3.  If you are serving this to someone who might be sensitive to spicy things, you might want to use less Cayenne Pepper, but for my family we usually use the full amount.

I usually serve the Korma on these cute elephant plates my son Skyler bought for me years ago.

I think you will love this Korma!