Quick Chicken Korma

Quick Chicken Korma

I really like Nigel Slater he has such passion for good food, and it's comforting to know that he likes cheap candy bars and the very best chocolate as well. I like how he writes and although I haven’t cooked a huge amount of his recipes I have all his books and enjoy reading them a lot. I hope he considers doing another Kitchen Diaries as it’s fun to dip in and out of it.

This korma is from his The 30 Minute Cook – The Best of The Worlds Quick Cooking. Now Nigel is the first to admit that quick and korma is a contradiction in terms, and it is – but this is just really good. I’m not too keen on anything too spicy, so korma with it’s subtle spicing and slight tingle is just my thing. Korma sauce and nan bread, yum! If you like things quite fiery you could use a strong chilli powder, I use mild – but that’s just me. I didn’t make the nan bread, if I had done it would have taken it out of the bracket of a quick weeknight supper, and that is really what this book is about for me. That said I would like to make my own nan bread one day but not today!

From the same book I also made his hoisin chicken with walnuts and mushrooms recently, but didn’t take a picture because although it tasted good it looked a bit brown! My little one liked the mushrooms in the sauce and kept asking for more mucky mushrooms, so I guess I made the right call in not taking the picture. This book is due for a serious re-read though, it was first published in 1994 when I bought it and I re-read it periodically. It’s the type of book to provide inspiration to a frazzled cook who wants something a bit interesting when short of time.

Here is Nigel’s korma if you fancy trying it. I forgot to sprinkle on the corriander, and also you can use 2 to 4 chicken breasts depending on the amount of sauce you would like.

Quick Korma

50g (2oz) butter

2 medium onions, sliced

3 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

4cm knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds from 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

50g (2oz) shelled cashews or almonds

2 bay leaves

2 boned chicken breasts

5 fl oz 150ml yoghurt

5 fl oz 150ml double (heavy) cream

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Melt the butter in a deep, heavy bottomed casserole, add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes. If it’s not browning add a little oil. It is essential not to burn the butter. Add the spices, bay leaves and nuts and cook for around 3 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add to the casserole and when it has coloured a little pour in 8 fl oz 225ml of boiling water. Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer on a reasonably high heat till the chicken is tender (around 15 minutes).

Mix the yoghurt and cream together and stir into the chicken and spice mixture. Simmer, very gently, for 4-5 minutes. Don’t let it boil as it will curdle. Scatter over the coriander and serve with pilaf or bread. For 2, generously.