Korma: The king of curries

THOUGH the spelling may differ, korma, kurma or qorma refer to the same thing – a creamy, beige-hued dish, the existence of which is traceable to the Mughal dynasty.

It is said that korma was prepared in Mughal royal kitchens but over time, the recipe for this sumptuous dish leaked out and spread to households from the north to the south of India.

Referred to as the king of curries, the etymological root of qorma is found in the Turkish word qavirma, indicative of frying as a cooking method (www.harpersbazaar.in).

Qavurma or kavurma is a sauteed or fried meat dish in Turkish cuisine while the Iranian stew of khormeh or ghormeh sabzi features either lamb or beef simmered with fresh herbs and kidney beans.

There’s also the Afghan chicken korma with dried sour plums. And in Azerbaijan, qovurma is a meat stew with fragrant herbs.

The fragrant and mild tasting korma is obviously not limited by boundaries as the recipe has journeyed from India to Malaysia, making it a familiar dish prepared by the Indian community for weddings or festive occasions.

Recipes may differ from one family to another, with some using almonds and others choosing cashew nuts, the latter of which is the preferred thickening agent here in Malaysia.

Back when electric mixing machines were not available, the blending of spices was done using a traditional granite grinding stone (ammikallu).

This grinding method guaranteed a smooth paste to ensure the korma was devoid of a grainy aftertaste.

However, in modern times, people are more accustomed to using a blender since not many households have the privilege of owning an ammikallu.

The availability of spice powders such as cumin and fennel provide a shortcut to making korma, which may not be approved by the family matriarchs including my mum.

Having spoken to a few friends, I have learned that korma recipes are vastly different but produce a similar tasting end result.

My recipe calls for coconut milk, but evaporated milk can be used as an alternative.

Some cooks opt to blend coconut shavings for extra creaminess; others add chilli powder for a touch of heat, giving it a reddish hue since most korma recipes are devoid of chillies.

While white pepper lends a touch of heat, other must-have ingredients are yoghurt, coriander sprigs and mint leaves.

Somehow mutton yields the best results in a korma but one can also use chicken or keep it vegetarian.

The ingredients for Chicken korma.

Chicken korma

Ingredients

800g chicken

30g garlic

20g ginger

2½ tsp salt

8 tbsp ghee

6 tbsp oil

150g onion

3 sprigs coriander

10 cashew kernels

6 big shallots

2 or 3 red chillies

1 lime

¼ cup yoghurt

1 cup thick coconut milk

1½ cups thin coconut milk

Korma paste

1 tsp fennel powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp poppy seed powder

1½ tsp white pepper

3 cardamom pods

50g korma powder

Mix with ½ cup water

Spices

2 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise pods

5 clove pods

3 bay leaves

Directions

Blend ginger and garlic paste with two tbsp oil.

Marinate chicken pieces with one tsp salt and half of the ginger and garlic paste.

Set chicken aside for an hour.

Soak cashew nuts in ¼ cup hot water for 10 minutes before blending together with coriander sprigs. Set aside.

Using mortar and pestle, break down white pepper to powder form.

Next, pound cardamom seeds until powdery. Remove the husks.

Make a slurry by mixing korma, fennel, cumin and poppy seed powders, white pepper and cardamom with ½ cup of water.

Set the slurry aside and let the spices bloom in water.

Dice the onions before heating up ghee and oil in a deep pot.

Add onions, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and bay leaves to the pot.

Sweat the onions before introducing the remaining ginger and garlic paste.

Then add korma slurry and cook until oil separates.

Next, add the chicken and let the paste coat the pieces.

Stir to prevent the meat from sticking to the pot or burning.

Once the chicken has lost its rawness, introduce cashew nut and coriander paste and mix.

Pour in light coconut milk (or water) and let it simmer on low heat for five minutes.

Keep stirring to prevent burning.

Once the curry starts thickening, pour in thick coconut milk.

Cook to your preferred consistency, and add 1½ tsp of salt (or according to taste) as well as the yoghurt.

For garnish, score some big shallots and simmer for five minutes before adding red chillies (sliced lengthwise).

Turn off the heat. Squeeze lime juice and check for seasoning.

Korma is best savoured hot with white rice, nasi briyani or nasi minyak.