Chicken Korma Curry
A fragrant, cashew-thickened chicken korma with saffron, rose water and warm spice — richer and more delicate than the curry-house version.
Source
Recipe Info
Servings: 4
Prep: 20m
Cook: 45m (plus 3h+ marinating)
Total: 1h5m
Ingredients
- 250ml plain, full-fat yoghurt
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 4 tbsp double cream
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 50g cashew nuts
- 60ml vegetable oil (or 4 tbsp ghee)
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 10 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 25g sultanas
- 1 tsp fine salt
- seeds of 1 black cardamom pod, crushed
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into large chunks and marinate in half the yoghurt for at least 3 hours at cool room temperature, or 8-12 hours in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Gently warm the cream, then take off the heat and stir in the saffron and half the rose water. Leave to infuse. Soak the cashews in 5 tbsp warm water.
- Heat the oil or ghee in a wide, lidded pan. Add the cinnamon and cardamom pods; once the cardamom starts to pop, brown the chicken in batches and set aside.
- Turn the heat down slightly and fry the onion until soft and golden. Meanwhile blend the cashews with their soaking water to a smooth paste.
- Stir the garlic, ginger, nutmeg and sultanas into the onions and cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the cashew paste. Take off the heat and stir in the remaining yoghurt and the salt.
- Return the chicken and its juices to the pan, bring to a simmer, cover tightly, turn the heat right down and cook for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in the cream and cook for a further 5 minutes, then stir in the black cardamom and remaining rose water to taste just before serving.