Bengali korma
SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins COOK 1 hr 30 mins EASY ❄ (without eggs)
5 tbsp butter
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
5 whole cardamom pods
1 whole star anise
10 garlic cloves, peeled 7.5cm-piece ginger, peeled 2 large onions, inely chopped 4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and
quartered, or left whole 6 green chillies, split lengthways
and seeds removed basmati rice, to serve
1 Heat the butter and oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom pods and star anise. Heat until the spices darken slightly.
2 Blitz the garlic and ginger in a food processor, and pour in a splash of water to form a paste. Add this to the pan with 2 tsp salt. Cook gently over a low heat for 10 mins.
3 Next, add the onions and cook on low for another 20 mins. Add 200ml water and continue to cook gently until the onions soften, about 20 mins. Keep stirring to stop them catching on the bottom – you don’t want to colour them. Add up to 100ml water if they do catch.
4 Tip all the chicken into the pan, cover with a lid and leave to cook over a medium heat for around 15 mins. Once the chicken is cooked, add the eggs and cook for 10 mins more. Finally, add the split green chillies. Serve with basmati rice on the side, if you like.
GOOD TO KNOW iron • 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 639 kcals • fat 47g • saturates 17g • carbs 11g • sugars 8g • ibre 3g • protein 40g • salt 3.5g