Tony Zentgraf
Korma – A Savory Spiced Gravy
Savory Chicken Korma is a warmly spiced recipe cooked with caramelized onions and toasted nuts. Then they are pureed to bring out the depth of flavor in the sauce. The caramelized onion and nut puree is one key in layering flavors int he sauce. The puree is used as the braising liquid to cook the seasoned chicken thighs.
Meats used to make korma vary from chicken, beef, pork, lamb or even goat. Substituting these proteins for vegetables that can be braised in the sauce to build flavors is a great vegetarian option. As the Korma gravy or sauce simmers away braising the meats or vegetables, the flavors of the spices, onions and yogurt build.
Serve with basmati rice, naan and a chutney.
Korma or Qorma?
Qorma comes from the Hindi-Urdu language, when translated to English means “braise”. Korma is an English assimilation of the word Qorma. The dish’s origin comes from the Mughlai cuisine where the Empire spread through the Indian subcontinent.
Korma is best known as a dish from India and Pakistan that is made with spices of the region. Cardamom, Cumin, Coriander, Cinnamon, Cloves, Black Pepper & Nutmeg all rolled up into a popular spice blend called Garam Masala.
Garam Masala Spice Blend
Garam, meaning ‘hot’, and Masala, meaning ‘spices’, may lead you to believe it is spicy. Reading over these ingredients do not scream ‘spicy’. The blend of spice ingredients are more of warming flavors. Using garam masala gives my senses the feeling of baking for the holidays. Baking for the holidays uses some of the same spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom.
Searing to Build Flavors
In this recipe, marinating the chicken in yogurt, ginger, garlic and garam masala overnight or even a couple of days allow the flavors to infuse into the meat.
Building the flavors of the sauce starts with caramelizing the onions and toasting the nuts. Assemble the sauce before searing the chicken. This allows the process of cooking the Savory Chicken Korma easier. See the recipe for instructions.
I recommend searing the chicken in ghee (Indian Clarified Butter) as it helps to build the traditional flavors. If ghee is unavailable substituting vegetable oil to sear the chicken is just fine.
Ghee – Indian Style Clarified Butter
- Ghee is an ancient cooking medium that originated in India.
- High smoke point ideal for frying or grilling.
- Shelf Stable and has a unique nutty flavor.
Ensure the pan is hot before adding the ghee. Heat the ghee to be able to hear the sizzle of the meat hitting the ghee. Allow the marinated chicken to sear on the first side to allow the marinade to begin to caramelize the marinade. Sear for a couple of minutes on both sides to build the flavors of the spices.
During the assembling process, take care to layer the flavors of the braising liquid. Searing the chicken is the first layer of flavor in the pot. Continual layering of flavors in the process of assembling the sauce is key to developing the sauce. The flavors are built upon starting with caramelizing the onions and toasting the nuts and pureed into the rest of the ingredients.
Braise the chicken for about a half an hour, serve with basmati rice and some naan.
Enjoy!
Savory Chicken Korma
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Chicken Marinade
- 1 ½ lbs Chicken Thigh - Boneless, Skinless
- ⅓ cup Plain Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Ginger
- 1 tbsp Garlic
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
Korma Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 ½ cups Yellow Onion - sliced
- 6 ea Cashews - whole
- 6 ea Almonds - whole
- ⅓ cup Plain Yogurt
- ½ tsp Cardamom - ground
- ½ cup Water
- ½ tsp Garam Masala
- ¼ tsp Chili Powder
- 1-3 ea Serrano Chiles - smashed
- ¼ cup Cilantro - chopped
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Trim any unwanted fat from the chicken thighs.
- Microplane the ginger and garlic. Using a Microplane finely grates the ginger and garlic to make them as fine as possible allowing the flavors to infuse into the marinade and sauce.
- Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala, chili powder and salt. Mix well to combine.
- Add the chicken thighs and mix to coat the chicken.Store in a container or resealable bag. Refrigerate overnight.
Making the Korma Sauce
– Caramelizing Onions and Toasting the Nuts
- Slice the onions into ½" strips
- Heat a saute pan and add the ghee.
- Add the onions and saute over medium heat.
- Cook the onions to caramelize the onions. It is a slow process but it is worth it to build the flavors in the sauce.Will probably take 20 minutes to develop enough caramelization.
- Once the onions have developed a deep color, add the almonds and cashews.
- Toast the nuts in the pan with the onions to bring out the oils of the nuts.
- Remove from the heat and reserve.
– Blending the Sauce Ingredients
- In a blender, add the onions and nuts.
- Add in the water, garam masala and chili powder.
- Blend the ingredients until smooth.
Cooking the Korma
- Over a medium high heat, heat a heavy bottom pot, such as a enameled cast iron pot, add a tablespoon of ghee.
- Once the ghee is hot enough to sear, add the serrano peppers.Saute the peppers until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Turn a the heat to high and allow the pot to become hot to sear.
- Add the chicken to the pot, allow the chicken to sear for 1-2 minutes per side to develop flavor.
- Add the pureed sauce ingredients to the pot. Add garam masala and red chili powder.Mix to combine the sauce and chicken.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a medium simmer.Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until the temperature of the chicken reaches 170°
- Chop the cilantro and add stir into the pot.Serve with Basmati Rice and NaanEnjoy!
