shahi chicken korma

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4.8 from 10 votes

Shahi chicken korma - or royal chicken korma - is a curry fit for a king

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Calories: 651kcal

Author: romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

The spice mix

1 1/2 tsp indian restaurant spice mix - recipe link below
2 tsp kashmiri chili powder or 1/2 tsp cayenne mixed with 1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp kosher salt

The curry ingredients

3 Tbsp oil
1 3 inch piece of cinnamon stick - cassia bark
2 green cardamom pods
2 tsp garlic/ginger paste - recipe link below
15 oz curry base
3 Tbsp coconut milk powder - Maggi brand is pretty readily available
1 Tbsp almond flour
10-12 oz pre-cooked chicken - this works with pre-cooked lamb as well
1 1/2 tsp sugar - more to taste if you like it sweet
2 Tbsp heavy cream - 35% (optional)

Instructions

Make the spice mix.
Combine and mix the coconut milk powder and almond flour with enough water to form a thin paste.
Heat your frying pan (don't use non-stick) briefly over medium heat. Add the oil.
When the oil starts to shimmer add the cinnamon and cardamom and cook until they start to crackle.
Now add garlic ginger paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it stops sputtering.
Turn down the heat and add the spice mix. This is the critical step. Stir it constantly for 30 seconds. If it starts to darken lift the pan off the heat. You want the spice mix to cook in the oil but not burn.
Turn the heat up to medium high. This is also really important. The heat is what caramelizes the onion in the curry base and gives the curry it's Indian restaurant flavour. As you become more comfortable with this technique try pushing it.
Add 3 oz of curry base. Stir until bubbles form (little craters really), around 30 seconds. Think lively boil. Watch the edges of the pan. The curry can stick here. Sticking is OK. Just scrape it back into the base. Burning is bad.
Now add 6 oz of curry base and stir briefly. Let it cook until the bubbles form again. This takes 1-2 minutes.
Add the rest of the curry base and let cook until the bubbles form.
Stir in the coconut/almond paste.
Turn the heat down to low and add the pre-cooked chicken.
Let the curry simmer for about 5 minutes. If it gets too thick add a bit more curry base. Don't add water.
Add the sugar. Taste and decide if you want it sweeter. Creep up on it. You can add sugar. You cannot take it away.
Add heavy cream to taste. None is a really good curry. 2 Tbsp is a creamy, kingly version. Decide what you are in the mood for. The cream does dull the flavours but it adds richness and tempers the heat.
Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh saffron if desired and serve with rice or Indian flatbread.

Notes

The recipe for curry base is here.

The recipe for indian restaurant spice mix is here.

The recipe for garlic ginger paste is here.

If you haven't read about Indian restaurant technique yet, do that before you start cooking.

Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.

If you are making multiple curries, have your curry base warming in a pot on the stove. If you are just making one, microwave it to warm it up right before you start cooking.

Indian restaurants pre-cook their meat so it's ready for service. This recipe assumes the same. To pre-cook chicken, simply simmer it with a bit of curry powder and salt in chicken stock for about 10-15 minutes - until it's barely cooked.

To pre-cook lamb or beef, do the same but plan for 1 to 1/2 hours for lamb and 2 hours or more for beef. You are making stew meat so you are braising until tender. You will need to keep an eye on the level of the stock. For beef use beef stock.

Nutrition