It took me a while to appreciate and enjoy Indian food, it wasn’t something I was introduced to as a child and being a fussy eater made it even more difficult to try something new. The flavours were too strong and overbearing for me initially, so I eased my way in with Indian food made in English restaurants and pubs as the flavours are usually watered down. But as time has gone on and after tasting a variety of dishes at parties and buffets I've come to love Indian food!
And, it turns out there’s a scientific reason why Indian food appeals to people around the world.
In 2015, a group of Indian researchers tackled this question from a molecular level and found that Indian food, unlike Western dishes, combines ingredients that don’t share overlapping flavours. Flavour comes from precise chemical compounds that create tastes we can label as bitter, sour, sweet, floral, sulfury, etc. On average there are about 50 flavour compounds in a single ingredient. In Indian dishes, disparate flavours run up against each other, allowing individual flavours to stand out. Furthermore, Indian cuisine uses nearly 200 of the roughly 380 known food ingredients in the world.
So whether you're a newbie or well aquainted with eating Indian food, this Chicken Korma recipe would most certainly delight you and your family.
Ingredients
800g Chicken with bones (or boneless)
Whole spices:
5 Green cardamom
2 Black cardamom
4 Cinnamon pieces
5 Cloves
5 Peppercorns
2 Bay leaf
Curd-masala mix:
200g Beaten curd/ yogurt
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbs Red Chilli Powder (or to taste)
3 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
2 Onions, sliced and fried golden
6 Cashew nuts
2 tbs Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
3 tsp Oil
1 Cup water
Method
Fry the onions until golden, remove and cool, blend fried onions with cashew nuts into smooth paste. Add 2 tablespoons of water while grinding.
To make the curd mix, whisk the curd and add all the powders. Mix well & set aside.
Heat the oil in pan, add all whole seeds and bay leaves. Stir for 3 minutes and add ginger and garlic paste. Mix well and fry on medium heat for around 2-3 mins.
Add chicken pieces and fry on high to medium heat for 5 mins.
Lower heat and add the curd mixture and keep stiring for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add the fried onion-cashew nut paste, mix well and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Add a cup of water, mix well and cover. Cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until film of oil apears on top. Serve hot with roti or rice.