The Lone Larder: Korma Curry

Over the weekend I cooked the Korma again so that I could Blog it. You will notice in this one the colours are a lot darker than you would normally expect from a Korma with coconut milk, it is just that the guests asked for some heat, so some extra chilli powder and flakes as well as some extra spices were added to give that much needed heat but I tried to keep the taste of the Korma without the salty hit I tend to get from a Vindaloo or a hot Rogan Josh.
Another hint I was given by an Indian friend when I asked about cooking spices and I have found it THE MOST IMPORTANT hint of all. When you cook spices you cook them on a low heat until they are "Fragrant". Fragrant is when you are unable to discern individual components of the mix by smell during the cooking process and you are only able to smell the one fragrant spice aroma.

The paste first; all done in a Mortar and Pestle
Paste
1 tsp Turmeric
10 cardamom pods (Take seeds out discard the shell)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
10 Black peppercorns
1tbs Ground paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground Cumin
2 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp dried Chilli flakes (optional)
2 cloves garlic
1tbs chopped fresh ginger
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Ingredients.
2 Onions (sliced finely)
1 tbs Ghee
6 Boneless chicken thigh fillets cut into 4cm cubes
1 cup chicken stock
1 400ml tin of cooconut milk
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Very easy to do and as it cooks you have a wonderful spicy aroma drifting through the home.

In a pot, cook the onions in the ghee until they are soft and translucent. Add the spice mix and cook slowly until fragrant. If this gets too dry when cooking add a little water to keep it moist but not wet.
When it smells right, add the chicken and stir to get the paste over all the pieces. Add the cup of chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook on a simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often to get all the chicken to turn and then add the tin of coconut milk.
Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer uncovered and let bubble away for an 90 minutes or even two hours if you have the time, the longer the better. The chicken thighs are a fatty cut and along with the coconut milk will leave an oily residue on top of the curry, you can spoon it away or stir it in before serving. (your choice)
Serve with rice.