Chicken Kurma (Korma)

Korma or Kurma or Corma is a creamy sauce/gravy made with coconut, yogurt and nuts. The same recipe can be followed for veggies or meat. Here is my recipe with coconut, almonds and sesame seeds. 

Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts - about 800 gms
Onion - 1 medium
Grated Coconut - about 1/2 cup
Almonds/Badam or any other nuts - 10
Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 1 tbsp
Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tsp
Shahjeera/Black Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 2 pods (seeds only)
Dry Red Chilies - 4
Lemon/Lime Juice - about 2 tbsp
Black Pepper Powder/Kali Miri - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs
Bay Leaf - 1
Cloves/Lavang - 4
Olive Oil or any other Oil
Salt

How to cook Indian Chicken Korma:

• In a mixing bowl, add bite size chicken pieces, lime juice, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, black pepper powder and little salt. Mix well and keep it covered for 2 - 3 hours. You can substitute lemon juice with thick yogurt/curds for marinade. Add little cayenne pepper/red chili powder for more heat.
• Soak almonds (or cashews) in about 1/2 cup water for about 30 minutes. Finely chop coriander leaves.
• Julienne slice the onion. Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the onions. Sauté till onions turn soft. Save them for later.  If you want the sauce/gravy to be brown in color, sauté the onions till they turn brown. 
• In the same pan, add coriander seeds, shahjeera, sesame seeds, green cardamom seeds and red chilies. Add oil if required. Sauté at low flame till coriander seeds slightly darken and turn aromatic.
• Grind sautéed onions, roasted spices, soaked almonds and grated coconut to a fine paste. 
• Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add cloves and bay leaf. After few seconds, add marinated chicken pieces. Sauté for 2 - 3 minutes. Now add the ground paste. Mix and cook it covered for 8 - 10 minutes. Check if chicken is cooked with a spatula. Add little salt to suit your taste.

Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve creamy Chicken Korma with chapati or naan or rice.