Peanut chicken korma
This creamy chicken dish is very rich and luxuriant – perfect when you want to impress guests or your family on special occasions
Ingredients
Serves 6
1 kg chicken breasts or thighs
250ml (1 cup) thick, plain yoghurt
4 tsp gram (chickpea) flour
2 cm piece fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
2 large onions
80g roasted groundnuts
160ml (2/3 cup) cream
1 tsp ground turmeric
180ml (3/4 cup) tinned coconut milk
1 tbsp ground coriander
4 tbsp ghee or butter
A 2.5cm piece cinnamon
1½ tsp salt
1 litre warm water
Method
1. Remove the skin from the chicken pieces with a sharp knife and cut the chicken flesh off the bone into 5cm pieces, put in a large bowl, cover and put aside.
2. Chop the chicken skin into small pieces and put it them in a pan with the bones, a chopped onion, ½ tsp salt and 1 litre of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced to half the amount.
3. Meanwhile, finely slice the remaining onion and grate both the ginger and garlic finely, using the smallest holes on the grater. Cover and put aside.
4. Remove the skins from the roasted groundnuts. To do this: Put the nuts in a polythene bag, tie a knot to close it and then rub the polythene bag between your palms. Tip the nuts on to a plate and then gently blow away the skins. Process to a fine powder using the mill attachment of your food processor, or pound using a pestle and mortar. Cover and put aside.
5. Beat the yoghurt and gram flour until smooth and add to the chicken. Add 1 tsp salt, the grated garlic and ginger and mix well. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for an hour or more.
6. Heat the ghee or butter in a large pan and fry the onions and cinnamon, until the onion is soft. Add the turmeric and coriander and stir briskly for about 1 min. Add the chicken with its marinade and continue frying until the chicken changes colour. Pour in 300ml of the chicken stock (made from the chicken skin and bones), bring to the boil, reduce the heat and then simmer for 20 mins.
7. Mix well the powdered nuts with the coconut milk and pour into the chicken mixture. Continue simmering for a further 20 mins. Finally, stir in the cream, simmer for 3 mins. and serve.
