I’m a fan of South Asian cuisine. Whenever I visit an Indian restaurant I get so intrigued at the thought of what goes in to making the delicious food. Chicken Korma is something that I just had to try making on my own. Classically, korma is a term given to mild, creamy, curry dish where meat or vegetables are braised in yogurt or cream. To give this korma dish a South Indian flavour, coconut milk can be used, but you can substitute it for regular milk if you like. Another option is to stir in some ground almonds into the sauce just before serving.

Personally I prefer to marinate all the spices with the chicken (instead of adding them to the oil on the stove), and leaving the addition of the yogurt until later on in the cooking process (instead of traditionally using it as part of the marinade). I find this allows the flavours to better set with the chicken. I didn’t have any plain yogurt on hand the first time I made this recipe, so I substituted it with sour cream and it came out tasting just as delicious so I’ve stuck with it.

Yield: Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized cubes)
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger root (finely grated)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp canola oil (for frying)
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro/coriander leaves (chopped)

Marinade:
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle spices over the chicken pieces, mixing well with a spoon so that all pieces are coated evenly. Pour in the 1 tablepoon of oil and mix with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
3. Fry the onion in a large skillet on medium heat, until it begins to soften and lightly caramelize (5-6 minutes).
4. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger. Stir-fry for an additional 1 minute.
5. Add the marinated chicken into the skillet, increasing the heat to medium-high, and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, until chicken is opaque.
6. Gradually add the sour cream and coconut milk to the skillet, making sure liquids are blended evenly.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20-25  minutes, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked and sauce has thickened (add a bit of water if needed).
8. Remove the skillet from heat, and mix in the chopped cilantro, lemon juice and salt to the chicken korma, letting it sit for an additional 5 minutes so that all the flavours are able to intermingle.
9. Serve over basmati rice or with naan bread.