Chicken Korma

We were given this recipe at our last Indian cooking class, but didn't get a chance to try it out - I'll give it a go soon, and report back what I thought of it!

Ingredients:

300g chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces

2 medium onions

2-3 Tbsp oil

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

¼ cup fresh cream

½ cup yoghurt

½ cup coconut milk

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp white pepper

½ tsp turmeric powder

Paste:

2 tsp poppy seeds

handful cashew nuts (approx 25 nuts)

2-3 green cardamom seeds

2 red dry chillis (optional)

Method:

1. Wash chicken pieces and keep them aside in a drainer.

2. Roast poppy seeds and cashew nuts, allow them to cool.  

3. Combine poppy seeds, cashew nuts, deseeded red chillis and cardamom seeds and grind them in a dry grinder.  Mix this with ¼ cup warm water to make a paste, and keep aside.

4. Grind onions in a food processor, or finely grate them.

5. Heat oil in a pan.  Add onion and cook until they are translucent or light pink (do not allow them to brown).  Add ginger and garlic, and stir for 15 seconds.

6. Add chicken pieces, salt, pepper, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder, and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until it is cooked (make sure not to colour the chicken).

7. Add beaten yoghurt, stir for 30 seconds and then add the paste (made earlier) and coconut milk.  Add ½-1 cup water as required, and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the chicken is tender.

8. Finish with fresh cream, simmer for another 20 seconds to mix it thoroughly and remove from heat.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with naan, chapati or rice.

Chikki (Peanut Candy)

Another dish from our final Indian cooking class - a candy that seems to be very similar to peanut brittle to me.

Ingredients:
1½ cups roasted peanuts
1 cup sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp oil
2 sheets greaseproof paper

Method:
1. Grease a non-stick pan and the wooden spatula with oil.
2. Place one greaseproof paper sheet on the board and grease it lightly, where you are going to put the mixture later on.  Grease lightly in the other sheet too.
3. Coarsely crush the roasted peanuts.
4. Melt sugar in the prepared non-stick pan until it is in liquid form and has turned light brown in colour.
5. Add crushed peanuts and cardamom powder into the melted sugar.
6. Mix thoroughly but quickly and put this mixture onto the prepared board.
7. Place the other prepared sheet of greased paper facing down on the mixture and roll it out with a rolling pin to spread it evenly.
8. Cut it with a greased knife into 4-5cm squares.
9. Allow it to cool and break into pieces.

Store in an airtight container.