Korma—usually chicken—is a perennially popular Indian dish around the globe. Much pooh-poohed by swaggering curry enthusiasts for it's mild spices, don't let that fool you: there's a reason it's so popular.
Korma is another of the dishes from the Indian subcontinent brought to Britain said to have its origins in mughlai cooking. As with other dishes in the canon of food brought to India by the Indo-Persian culture of the Mughal Empire, versions of the dish can be found across India, Pakistan,Turkey and present-day Iran and Iraq. While there are certain ingredients that all of these recipes use—most notably almonds—the mix for the korma paste itself varies between regions, as do the ingredients that give the dish its signature creaminess. If nothing else, it's a shape-shifter dish that can appear in many forms.
Variety is the spice of life
I'm including the spice mix I usually use to make the paste when making it from scratch. I seldom do. There are numerous really good readymade korma pastes on the market and I tend to use these instead.
But, there's a caveat: a number of commercially available korma pastes don't even include the signature ingredient; almonds. Shockingly, this includes so-called korma pastes by some supposedly reputable international companies—you know who you are. Nonetheless, even when using a korma paste with almond content, I always add additional almonds.
A version served with lime pickle and a side of black lentils and red kidney beans in a ginger, tomato, cashew sauce
Vox populi
Some years ago, chicken korma officially overtook chicken tikka masala as the UK's most popular "curry dish". But, with huge success come the haters. In my current strand of re-embracing 1970s suburban culinary classics, I guess I should really be "reviving" chicken tikka masala. But, no, I'm going with poor old korma, a dish subjected to turned-up noses from self-appointed curry buffs, whether the type obsessed with so-called "authentic Indian cooking" or the tribe whose culinary machismo is based on how hot they can endure their curry.
A lot of this has to do with the fact that korma is usually pretty mild. Yes, of course that's one of the reasons it's proved popular in northern European countries not known for their palate for fiery food. But why is that a reason to dismiss it? On the contrary, korma is delicious if you get it right. It's also a very quick and simple dish. And, given the number of Indian regions that cook it—or something like it—the fact that Germans or Irish people like it hardly diminishes its culinary credentials given the far bigger fanbase on the Indian subcontinent.
You might have noticed that a lot of my recipes for Indian dishes sneak in more (types of) vegetables than you'll find in the "classic" versions. Flavour and a belief in dietary fibre is one of the reasons. Another is ease: you can cook them in one pot rather than making a range of side dishes. With korma, I prefer the more traditional route: limited ingredients in the korma itself and cooking a vegetable side dish in addition to the rice or naan bread.
Why? Well, because korma is the perfect easy meal for a party of diners with mixed tolerance for spicy food. So, I tend to keep the korma fairly mild and ramp up the fire in the side dish.
And, yes, my korma includes sultanas. I've heard all the insults—"Coronation Korma"—but I don't care. I probably spent too long with my toes dipping in the Indian Ocean, learned my love of Indian cuisine where dishes without intrinsic fruit is practically an alien concept. I don't think anyone is going to get hurt.
The creaminess question
The approach to korma in India is to use local ingredients for the signature creaminess. In the South, for example, it often includes coconut milk whereas inland, in landlocked regions, yoghurt or cream are more common. Understandably, the figure-conscious tend to opt for yoghurt, the hedonists for cream. I tend to play it by ear. But, my default recipe below uses both yoghurt and cream; a bit healthier, a bit piggy. You can always mix it up.
This recipe serves 3 to 4 diners. Scale up as needed.
A king prawn version of korma with yellow pepper and mushroom served with garlic naan bread
Shopping list
for the korma paste mix
1 tspn turmeric
2 tspn ground cumin
½ tspn ground cardamom
2 tspn ground dried coriander
2 tspn fennel
1 tspn mild chilli powder
2 tspns mild curry powder
1 tspn garlic powder
2 tbspn minced ginger
2 tbspns flaked almonds, coarsely ground
3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced or finely crushed
3 of 4 dried bay leaves
2 tspns tomato purée
juice of ½ a fresh lemon
for the dish
3 tbspns peanut oil (or the equivalent; ghee or vegetable oil)
Skinless chicken cut into bite-size chunks; breast or boned thighs (approx. 700g)
4 tbspns flaked almonds; half ground, half not
2 brown onions; cubed
4 tbspns of sultanas
Approx. 200ml water
A generous clutch of fresh coriander, chopped
150ml strained Greek yoghurt (or the real Indian thing if you can get it)
100ml single cream
Basmati or pilau rice, as preferred
for the side dish
2 tbspns peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
Approx. 300g small closed cup mushrooms
2 green bell peppers, cut into large, irregular cubes
Approx. a thumb's length of fresh ginger, finely grated
2 hot green chillies, finely chopped (1 if you don't like it hot)
1 tspn of fenugreek seeds, crushed coarsely
1 tspns garam masala
1 tspn ground turmeric
A generous clutch of fresh coriander, chopped
Cooking Method
Grind all of the dry korma paste mix ingredients into a coarse powder, whether by hand using a pestle and mortar or with a spice grinder. Pour into a bowl and mix in all of the "wet" ingredients to create a paste
In a pot or deep frying pan with a lid, heat the oil for the main dish on a medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions, stirring. When the onions start to become soft, add half of the the korma paste and stir in. Cook for 2 to 3 mins
Add the chicken and stir together with the paste and onions, ensuring that all sides are seared, stirring nearly constantly
As soon as the chicken is sealed, add the half of the flaked almonds that are ground and mix in. Allow them to cook for a few minutes, even becoming "toasted". Then, add the rest of the korma paste. Stir in and allow it to cook until almost dry
Add the sultanas and stir in, ensuring this now rather dry mixture does not catch. Add the water—about 100ml at a time—and allow it to bubble. When you have what looks like a healthy makings of a "sauce" that's neither too dry nor to little liquid, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 mins or until the chicken is fully cooked
Cook your side dish while your main dish cooks. In a pot with a lid, heat the peanut oil on a high heat. Add the gated ginger (reduce the heat if it "spits" furiously). Stir and allow it to turn golden. Add the ground fenugreek seeds and cook for a minute or so
Add the chopped bell pepper and hot green chillies, stirring to ensure both are coated with the hot oil
When they begin to soften, add the whole mushrooms. Add the turmeric and garam masala and stir in, ensuring the mushrooms are fully coated. Finally, add the chopped fresh coriander, initially resting on the top of the ingredients. Reduce to a low heat, cover and simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking
When the chicken is fully cooked, add the single cream and stir in. Cook it for barely a minute. Then, remove from the heat and stir in the yoghurt. This part is really important: do not "cook" the yoghurt. It will become clotted and horrible. This is especially important if you're doing the "no cream" version that uses only yoghurt
Place into a serving dish or plate. Sprinkle with the remaining flaked almonds and chopped coriander over the top and take to table
Serve with the rice—or naan bread—and the side dish
Alternatives
Vegetarians
Korma is one of those dishes that is really great for vegetarians. Cauliflower in lieu of chicken is a personal favourite. But, I confess, I have never got around the vegan option given one of its key "creamy" aspects usually involves dairy. Yes, of course you can go for the 100% vegan coconut milk option—which is great—but it nonetheless tastes more like a South Indian dish than echt korma to me. Just saying.
Pescatarians: Prawn korma is "a thing". Not without reason. Head there. Other glorious options include scallops and langoustine tails.
Unless you're using seriously "chunky" cuts of seafood—such as very thick rings of octopus—this requires a change-up. In essence there are two things that need to be taken into account.
Firstly, pre-cook your seafood—in this case king prawns—in a little oil, a tbspn of grated ginger and garlic and a tbspn of the spice paste mix. This will only take a few minutes; turning halfway through.
Secondly, you need to give you korma a little more "substance" since the prawns don't take up much space. My personal favourite is to use the onions as in the recipe above, then add diced yellow pepper and, slightly later, sliced medium-to-large closed cup mushrooms. This gives a certain gravitas to the meal. First cook the onions, yellow pepper and mushrooms in the spices before adding the sultanas and cream. Only once the cream is pretty much cooked in do you add the cooked king prawns to the mix; heating rather than cooking. Then plate and take to table, sprinkling flaked almonds over the top.
Pairings
My preferred tipples with this one are sparkling water with a dash of lime or iced tea with lemon or lime. Of course, like many Indian dishes, it's also great with beer.
Of course, this is another on poor Karel's backlogue for decent wine pairings...
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