CHICKEN KORMA

Korma, which means ‘braising’ in Hindi, is actually a style of cooking where meat and vegetables are braised in a sealed pot with a little liquid. The sauce can be creamy, nutty and mild like our British kormas, but they can also be quite spicy. So our classic British korma is a korma in name only, as the cooking technique is different. Yellow food colouring is often added for a more intense colour.

Serves 4 or more as part of a multi-course meal

4tbsp ghee or rapeseed oil

2.5cm (1in) piece of cinnamon stick 4 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed

1tsp garlic and ginger paste (see tip across the bottom of the page) 3tbsp sugar, or to taste

6tbsp ground almonds

2tbsp coconut flour (from supermarkets), plus 4tbsp extra if you’re not using block coconut (see below)

700ml (1¼pt) diluted base curry sauce (see left)

100g (3½oz) block coconut (optional), roughly chopped

800g (1lb 12oz) raw chicken breast, cut on the diagonal into 5mm (¼in) slices, or pre-cooked stewed chicken (see right)

1tbsp garam masala 125ml (4fl oz) single cream, plus a little more to finish

1tbsp rose water (from supermarkets), or to taste

2tbsp cold butter (optional)

Salt

Heat the ghee or oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When small bubbles begin to appear, toss in the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the garlic and ginger paste.

Fry for about 20 seconds before adding the sugar, ground almonds and coconut flour. Mix into the oil and pour in 250ml (9fl oz) of the base curry sauce; it will bubble up nicely. Add the block coconut, if using. It will dissolve and give your korma a nice pale yellow tone.

Pour in the rest of the base curry sauce, then add the chicken. If you’re using raw chicken, press it into the sauce so that it cooks quickly and evenly. You can add a little more base curry sauce if you need to, as it will boil down anyway. Stir in the garam masala.

When your chicken is cooked (or heated through, if you’re using pre- cooked chicken), remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and stir in the single cream. Add the rose water and the butter, if using. Season the korma with salt to taste and check the sweetness, adding more sugar if needed. Top with a little extra cream.