Ingredients (240 ml cup used)
to grind to smooth paste (optional refer notes)
1 1/2 tbsp. poppy seeds or 6 cashew nuts
1/4 cup chopped coconut or grated coconut
for the curry
one and a half tbsp. oil
one bay leaf
one star anise
1/2 tsp shahi jeera or jeera/cumin
two large or 3 small green cardamoms
four cloves
small cinnamon stick
one cup finely chopped onions
1 green chili slit
generous pinch of turmeric
salt as needed
1 1/2 tsp. ginger garlic paste
500 grams or 1/2 kg chicken (bone-in chicken can be used)
1 medium ripe tomato
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala (refer notes) + 1/4 tsp
1 sprig curry leaves or 8 pudina/mint leaves
1 tbsp. thick yogurt/ curd (optional, refer notes)
garnishing
few coriander or mint leaves
How to make the recipe
preparation
Powder poppy seeds first. Add coconut and blend to a smooth paste with little water. Set this aside.
Chop onions tomatoes finely. Mash the tomatoes with your hand. set aside.
Wash the chicken thoroughly, Drain off completely. Keep it aside.
making chicken korma - to be cooked on a low to medium flame
Fry dry spices in oil till they begin to sizzle.
Add onions, chili and salt. Fry until golden.
Fry ginger garlic paste with the onions till the raw smell disappears.
Add chicken, turmeric and little more salt.
Fry till the chicken turns white in color. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in between if needed to prevent burning.
Add mashed tomatoes. Fry till they turn soft. Cover and cook if needed.
Time to add in chili powder, garam masala. Stir and fry for 3 minutes.
Add curry leaves or mint and coconut paste. Stir and fry until the mixture begins to leave the sides.
Stir in yogurt and fry until it leaves the sides again.
Pour water just enough to make a medium consistency gravy.
Cook covered till the chicken turns tender and soft. Towards the end add 1/4 tsp garam masala. Switch off the stove.
Transfer chicken kurma to a serving bowl. Best to serve after 30 minutes. Garnish with coriander or mint leaves just before serving.
Recipe Notes
1. Half cup thick curd (yogurt) can be used instead of poppy seeds and coconut paste. The taste does alter but it works good as a replacement to ground paste.
2. Store bought garam masala can be used. For a chicken kurma a mild garam masala works great. Adjust the quantity as needed. If your garam masala includes red chilies, skip using red chili powder from the recipe.
3. Folks have different thought of what a kurma is. If you are a coconut person go with the ground paste and skip curd totally or use as mentioned. If you are someone to think that yogurt is a must in kurma, then you can skip coconut and just use yogurt.
How to make chicken kurma curry recipe
1. Powder poppy seeds first to a fine powder. Add chopped or grated coconut and blend till smooth with little water. Since we don’t get poppy seeds in Singapore, i used cashews. But poppy seeds work the best. Make a smooth paste, If needed leave it for a while after partially ground and blend it again. Set this aside.
chicken curry coconut cashew paste
2. Pour oil to a hot pan, add dry spices and fry till they begin to sizzle. If your garam masala doesn’t have saunf in it, you can crush about 1/4 tsp of fennel seeds/ saunf and add it now.
frying spices for chicken kurma recipe
3. Add onions and green chilli. Sprinkle salt and fry till they turn golden. The raw smell must go away. I did not use chilli, but i suggest using it.
sauteing onions for chicken curry recipe
4. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes away.
frying ginger paste for chicken kurma
5. Lower the flame. Add chicken, little more salt and turmeric.
addition of marinade for chicken kurma recipe
6. Fry 2 to 3 minutes or until the chicken turns white in color.
frying chicken kurma until meat turns pale
7. Cover and cook on a low flame for about 5 to 6 minutes. Stirring every three minutes.
cooking chicken kurma recipe
8. Add chopped and mashed tomatoes. Fry until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy. Cover and cook if needed.
addition of tomatoes for chicken kurma recipe
9. Add garam masala, red chili powder and mix well.
addition of spice powders in chicken curry recipe
10. Fry for about two to three minutes.
frying chicken curry for 2 to 3 minutes
11. Add the ground paste, mint or curry leaves. Fry til the mixture begins to leave the sides.
addition of poppy paste for chicken curry recipe
12. Add yogurt, Mix and stir well and cook till the mixture leaves the sides.
addition of curd in chicken curry recipe
13. Pour water. Mix well.
add water for chicken kurma recipe
14. Cover and cook on a low to medium flame till the chicken turns soft. I like to adjust the color of the curry by adding little more chili powder if needed while it is cooking. Sprinkle little more garam masala powder to finish off.
simmer chicken curry
Serve chicken kurma curry with plain rice or any biryani varieties or chapathi.
chicken kurma chicken curry with coconut