Fragrant Chicken Korma

This is a simple and fragrant chicken korma recipe. The flavours are subtle, yet indulgent.

Chicken korma once graced the festive tables of the Mogal Empire in the 1500s, rich with a silky creaminess, nuts and laced with the fragrance of expensive spices, but has now become synonymous with the bland and mild curries reserved only for children or individuals with unadventurous tastes.

Fear not! This recipe brings back the sophisticated flavours of the real macoy.

The coconut milk, cinnamon and almonds lend a rich sweetness, while the green cardamoms lift the fragrance of the dish, the ginger, mustard seeds and chilli flakes providing warmth and richness of flavour, the saffron and black cardamoms lending an earthy, smoky note.

I pre-soak the almonds to help them fold into the sauce.

Fragrant chicken korma is as easy to prepare in the slow oven as it is on the stove. When cooking in the slow cooker, I tend to leave the breasts whole so that they break up gradually during cooking and serving. I prefer the look of them this way. Also, if your breasts are frozen, just add them as is. Don’t worry about defrosting them. They cook fine from fresh or frozen.

Serves 4

1 tbsp coconut oil, butter or ghee

2 large onions, chopped or blended

4 chicken breasts, diced (or left whole) or 8 chicken thighs, skin and bone removed

10 green cardamom pods, bruised

3 black cardamom pods, bruised

4 strands of saffron

½ tsp mustard seeds

5cm piece of cinnamon stick

Pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli flakes

1 inch of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely diced

6 cloves

400g can of coconut milk

250ml Greek yoghurt or 4 tbsp double cream

Small handful of fresh almonds or cashews, soaked

Coriander leaves freshly chopped

Salt and pepper

Serve with naan bread and/or rice

How to cook fragrant chicken korma

To cook on the stove:

Use a large frying pan and melt the butter/ghee or coconut oil.

Add the chopped onion and fry for 5 minutes on a gentle heat until it starts to brown.

Add the cloves, mustard seeds, cinnamon and green cardamoms and fry for 30 seconds to release the flavours, then add the coconut milk, ginger, chilli flakes and saffron strands. Combine well. Add the chicken and bring to the boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for about 35 minutes, until the chicken has cooked through.

Add the black cardamoms and ground nuts then remove from the heat. Stir in the Greek yoghurt or double cream. Scatter with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice or pitta breads.

To cook in the slow cooker:

I cook on the high setting on my slow cooker. It’s a simple as adding all the ingredients, leaving adding the coriander, Greek yoghurt or cream and black cardamoms until just a few minutes before serving up.

As I don’t pre-fry or pre-boil anything you will not need the butter/ghee or coconut oil. It always turns out delicious.

Cook on a high setting for approximately 5 hours, stirriing occasionally if possible.