Chicken korma (Fatima Ansari)
When I'm craving some Indian food I usually turn it into a "treat-yo-self" day and get some takeout or go to a local restaurant. Not because I don't want to make it at home, but I feel like I just can't *quite* get the flavors right at home.
It's likely the recipes I'm using are written for an American palate and/or for accessibility of ingredients. But I don't want a one-note Indian dish! I'll admit, I still can't handle all the legit stuff that's super blazing hot, but I still want all the non-spicy spices in there.
And then I read about this chicken korma, which is based upon Aziz Ansari’s mom’s recipe. (Yes, the actor of "treat-yo-self" fame from Parks and Rec.) YES! This is exactly what I needed.
A deeply flavored dish that hits allllll the right notes.
It's creamy without being heavy. It's flavorful without being overpowering. It has a lot of spices but is incredibly well balanced.
I'm sure there are at least 1,234,927 variations of this recipe based upon regional and family differences/preferences, so I'm not claiming that this is the singular most authentic recipe for chicken korma out there. But it's definitely the best Indian meal to come out of this Middle Eastern girl's kitchen!
Yours in treating herself...without breaking the bank!
Jacqueline
Fatima Ansari's Chicken Korma, adapted from Olga Massov
The chicken marinates in the fridge for a full day before cooking, so keep that in mind when meal planning.
Ingredients
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken (I recommend chicken thighs), cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup plain, non-Greek yogurt (if using Greek yogurt, just thin it out with some water until the consistency of regular yogurt)
3 cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane or pounded into a paste
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp whole coriander
1 tsp whole fennel
½ cup cashews (or ½ cup almond meal)
½ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2–3 green chiles, seeded if desired
1 tsp garam masala
water, as needed
rice or chapati, for serving
Directions
It's likely the recipes I'm using are written for an American palate and/or for accessibility of ingredients. But I don't want a one-note Indian dish! I'll admit, I still can't handle all the legit stuff that's super blazing hot, but I still want all the non-spicy spices in there.
And then I read about this chicken korma, which is based upon Aziz Ansari’s mom’s recipe. (Yes, the actor of "treat-yo-self" fame from Parks and Rec.) YES! This is exactly what I needed.
A deeply flavored dish that hits allllll the right notes.
It's creamy without being heavy. It's flavorful without being overpowering. It has a lot of spices but is incredibly well balanced.
I'm sure there are at least 1,234,927 variations of this recipe based upon regional and family differences/preferences, so I'm not claiming that this is the singular most authentic recipe for chicken korma out there. But it's definitely the best Indian meal to come out of this Middle Eastern girl's kitchen!
Yours in treating herself...without breaking the bank!
Jacqueline
Fatima Ansari's Chicken Korma, adapted from Olga Massov
The chicken marinates in the fridge for a full day before cooking, so keep that in mind when meal planning.
Ingredients
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken (I recommend chicken thighs), cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup plain, non-Greek yogurt (if using Greek yogurt, just thin it out with some water until the consistency of regular yogurt)
3 cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane or pounded into a paste
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp whole coriander
1 tsp whole fennel
½ cup cashews (or ½ cup almond meal)
½ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2–3 green chiles, seeded if desired
1 tsp garam masala
water, as needed
rice or chapati, for serving
Directions
- Marinade the chicken (1 day before): In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, salt, turmeric, and pepper until combined. Add chicken pieces to the bowl, making sure the chicken is well coated in the yogurt marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare your spice/cashew mixture: In a small, dry pan set over medium-low heat, toast the coriander and fennel until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer both spices to a mortar and pestle and finely grind. Add the cashews and cilantro and grind into a paste. (You can also use a small food processor for this.) Set aside.
- Prepare the korma: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, chiles, and garam masala, and cook, stirring, until fragrant and the onions begin to turn brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken with its marinade, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. If the pan starts to go dry, add ¼ cup water to loosen the sauce.
- Add the spice/cashew mixture to the chicken, along with ½ to ¾ cups water, and stir to combine.
- Cover the chicken, reduce the heat to low, and cook the chicken until cooked through and tender, about 40 minutes. You might see the oil separate from the sauce – this is fine, just stir everything together to combine. Serve alongside rice or chapati.
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