Korma Masala

The origins of KORMA date back to 16th Century, it was a delicacy served by the Mughal Court kitchen. Rumour has it that a famous white version of the dish was served to Emperor Shah Jahan and guests at his unveiling of the Taj Mahal.  The colour of the Korma varies from being white to light brown to dark brownish red.  That is because of the ingredients added.  There are no red chillies added as it is expected to be mild, fragrant and delicate curry.  In South-India, use of coconut, poppy seeds and coconut cream makes the Korma tilt towards cream colour where in North the thickness is added by adding cashew nuts or melon seeds.  There are different school of thoughts re use of coconut / onions (white) and tomatoes.

This is my take on the gravy, it leans more towards darker cream side as it has very few spices which leans towards brownness for example Garam Masala, cumin power and coriander powder.  It does have coconut, coconut milk powder and cashews.  You can always finish the curry by adding coconut cream which lightens the colour and brings fresh coconut flavours.

Ingredients - cashews, onion, coconut, coconut powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, cooked in canola oil, tempered with green cardamon, cinnamon, bay leaf and cumin seeds.

Allergens - cashews

Vegan

Cooks 1 kg of chicken or lamb or paneer or vegetables

To Marinate: take a tbsp. of the gravy and mix it with your protein/vegetable, set aside for about 15 - 30 minutes.

Four steps to make the best butter chicken curry:

1. Sauté 1kg of your desired protein/ vegetable / tofu / paneer in a pan till it is cooked fully.
2. Add this jar of Korma Masala to your sautéed ingredients and mix well.
3. Add ½ - 1 cup of hot water, mix well, and add salt to taste.
4. Bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat. Let it rest for about 5-10 minutes. 

Finishing the curry

• Add some finely chopped mint for additional flavor.
• If you are using yogurt whisk well (or else it will split), add little by little taste and stop when you are happy with the taste. 
• If you are using coconut cream, shake well and a little taste and add more if required stop when you are happy with the taste profile.

NOTE:

DON’T ADD TOO MUCH WATER AS THE COCONUT CREAM/ CREAM OR YOGHURT WILL DILUTE THE CURRY FURTHER.  SLOWLY ADD IT IN KEEP CHECKING THE TASTE STOP WHEN IT REACHES THE DESIRED TASTE AND CONSISTENCY.