Easy Chicken Korma | A Traditional Lucknow Recipe

Easy Chicken Korma

Ingredients

• 2 large red onions (300g), thinly sliced
• 1 cup neutral oil
• 1kg bone-in chicken thighs
• 200g plain yogurt
• 50g garlic, about 1 whole head of garlic
• 25g fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 tbsp fried-onion oil
• 8 green cardamom pods (gently crushed to open the pods but ensuring seeds don’t escape)
• 8 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 black cardamom
• 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 mace
• 250ml hot water
• A few sprigs of fresh coriander, to garnish
• Flaked almonds, to garnish

Method

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pot or deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onions in two or three batches rather than all at once. Adding them gradually prevents the sudden release of steam and helps the onions fry evenly. Keep the heat at medium-high and stir the onions frequently as they cook.

Fry the onions for about 8 minutes, or until they are an even golden colour. Keep a close eye on them towards the end of cooking: do not let them become dark brown, as they will continue to deepen in colour slightly after they are removed from the oil and can become bitter. As soon as they reach a golden colour, lift them from the oil and spread them out over a kitchen towel to drain. Leave them in a single layer so that they cool and crisp.

Remove 5 tablespoons of the fried-onion oil from the pot and set it aside. You should have approximately 4 tablespoons of oil remaining in the pot; this is the oil you will use to cook the korma. The remaining fried-onion oil can be reserved for another use.

While the onions are cooling, prepare the chicken. Make a few deep gashes in each chicken thigh so that the marinade can penetrate the meat. Combine the yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, salt, crispy fried onions crushed by hand, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved fried-onion oil. Massage the marinade thoroughly into the chicken, making sure it gets into the cuts. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.

For the ginger and garlic paste, grind the garlic and ginger together in a grinder with a small splash of water until smooth. If you do not have a grinder, finely grate or crush both the ginger and garlic, then add a splash of water and mix until you have a loose paste.

Heat the remaining fried-onion oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, black cardamom, cinnamon and mace to the hot oil. Fry the spices for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Reduce the heat to low and add the marinated chicken, along with all the marinade. Stir gently to coat the chicken in the spiced oil and yogurt. Cover the pot and cook over the lowest heat for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, uncover the pot and turn the chicken pieces so that they cook evenly. Cover again and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Uncover the pot and pour in 250ml of hot water. Make sure the water is hot rather than cold, as adding cold water can interrupt the cooking process. Stir gently, then increase the heat to medium-low and let the korma simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.

Before serving, scoop away any excess oil that has risen to the surface. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh coriander and a scattering of flaked almonds. Serve hot, with rice and/or naans

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