Malabar Style Chicken Korma

The word 'Korma' seems to have originated from Mughlai Cuisine. It is a thick gravy dish. The flavour of the curry comes from the combination of spices, coriander, fennel seeds and yoghurt. It gives so much different flavour to the curry. And it is quite unlike the red curry we usually make - Chicken Roast or the brown coconut based curry - Varutharacha Chicken Curry. The thick creamy texture and taste goes so well with chapathi's or any rotis.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken - 1/2 kg

Cloves/ Grambu - 6

Cardamom/ Elakka - 4

Cinnamon / Patta - 2" piece

Onion - 3 (big)

Ginger - 1 1/2 " piece

Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Scraped Coconut - 1 1/2 cup (loosely packed)

Fennel Seeds/Perumjeerakam - 1 tsp

Poppy Seeds /Khus - Khus - 1 tsp

Green Chilly - 6 (or upto 9 if you like it spicy) *see note 1

Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Tomato - 3 medium

Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Water - 1/2 cup*see note 2

Salt - to taste

Refined Oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp

Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup (loosely packed)

METHOD

Clean and chop the chicken into small pieces.

Chop the onions into thin slices. Ginger finely chopped.

Chop the tomatoes into medium size pieces and keep aside.

Wash and filter the khus khus.

Make a coarse paste of the coconut, fennel seeds, khus- khus and green chilly.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the spices - cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.

Tip in the onions and saute till translucent. Add in the ginger and garlic paste.

Add the dry masala powders. If required add 1 tsp oil at this stage as it may get too dry. *see note 3

When the raw smell of the masalas are gone add the chicken.

Mix in the coconut paste, yoghurt, salt and tomatoes. Stir well on medium flame for 2 minutes.

Add the water. Check salt and close the cooker lid.

Cook on low flame for 3 whistles or until the chicken is cooked.

Open the lid, stir well and then season with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rotis.

Tips for cooking:

1. It is a medium spicy dish. If you want it spicy you can add up to 9 chillies. You have to add at least 6 else it will turn out sweet due to the coconut and tomatoes.
2. This is a semi thick gravy but if you like more gravy add up to 1 cup water. Remember that water comes out of the chicken, yoghurt and tomatoes as you cook.
3. After you add the masalas, make sure you keep stirring else the masalas will stick to the bottom of the cooker.

Sending this post to the Kerala Kitchen Event hosted by The Cooking Doctor