Chicken Korma

Apparently this week is 'Curry Week', good excuse to choose a recipe from this popular and much-loved cuisine. Curries always remind me of my Uncle Andy, a great lover of curries, who introduced me to my first curry dish. Growing up, I never liked this spicy dish and whenever my Mum cooked a curry, I preferred to have something else, until I visited my family in Cheltenham. My Uncle, who sadly died a few years ago, being a stubborn man, decided this won't do and off we went to have a family meal in a lovely little Indian restaurant. He ordered a few dishes,which he put in front of me, I tried them, but no, it just didn't work. Uncle Andy was not about to give up, so he called the waiter, ordered another dish, which was brought before me. I took a bite and that was it, I was hooked, that dish was Chicken Korma. Growing older, I have become more adventurous with my curry dishes but this one remains my favourite, because, like I said many times, food is not always just about stirring our taste buds but also about the memories and people attached to that particular food experience!!

Ingredients
2 tbl soil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves
4 cardamon pods, crushed
4 chickenbreasts cut into bit-sized pieces
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1 ½ tsp cumin,1/2 tsp turmeric,1 tsp mild
chilli pepper
2 tsp tomato puree
75g ground almonds
250ml chicken stock
200ml cream
Salt & pepper
50g flaked almonds

Method
Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, cloves and cardamom pods for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.
Add the chicken, garlic and ginger and, after frying for 4 minutes, add all the remaining spices. Stir around in the pan, allowing them to release their flavour into the chicken.
Add the tomato puree, ground almonds, stock and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until reduced to the consistency of thick cream. Taste and add seasoning.
Scatter over the toasted almonds and serve rice and naan bread.

Androulla
xxx