Malabar Chicken Korma

Malabar Chicken Korma

It is chicken time again. 

There are a few recipes that I make again and again. One is the butter chicken with lots of tomato and kasuri methi. 

The other is a kind of korma that I learnt after using Shan masala. It includes brown onion paste curry. However I love to experiment and more often than not I try out new recipes.

Today I am making Malabar style chicken korma. The korma basically is made of white paste which might include khus khus, char magaz, cashews etc. the Malabari component is dry roasted khada masala. A fusion of these Muglai and Malabari components is lipsmackingly good.

Ingredients

For the spice mix

4 cardamom

5 cloves

1 tsp fennel seeds

1” cinnamon

For the korma paste

5 tbsp khus khus

½  cup cashews

½ grated coconut

700 gms chicken

2 onions, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp chicken masala

Salt to taste

1 cup milk

For tempering

1 bay leaf

½ javitri

First make the korma paste. Soak khus khus, cashews and coconut in hot water for half an hour. Blend to a smooth paste.

For the Malabari spice mix dry roast cardamom, cloves, fennel and cinnamon. Then grind into a powder.

Heat some oil. Add the bay leaf and javitri. Add the ginger garlic paste. 

Then add the chopped onions and saute till they turn translucent.

 Then add the chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook till the tomatoes turn soft. 

Add the 2 tbsp chicken masala, Malabari masala and korma paste. Fry till the oil starts leaving the sides. 

Add the chicken pieces and cook on high flame for 5 minutes. 

Add 1 cup of milk and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook till the chicken is done.