Recipe#11839

Title: Chicken Korma

From: tzi1@slosh.com (Tzigane) 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 Subject: Chicken Korma 
 Date: 8 Dec 1997 18:02:50 -0800 
 Message-ID: <66i8sa$rb1$1@shell8.ba.best.com> 

Serves 6
 1 medium chicken, cut into about 2-inch size pieces
 1 tablespoon salt
 2 large onions, chopped
 2 tablespoons ground ginger
 1 tablespoon of garlic powder 
 1 tablespoon ground coriander
 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin 
 8 oz. plain yogurt 
 2 two-inch pieces stick cinnamon 
 6 cardamoms, slightly pressed to open the tip (be sure to use green variety)
 1 teaspoon sugar 
 1/2 tablespoon tomato puree or paprika (for color only) 
 1/2 cup ghee (recipe below) or oil 
 4 green chilies 
 Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients except the green
 chilies for at least one hour. Heat up the oil or ghee in a deep
 and heavy stockpot or saucepan over medium heat. Pour the seasoned
 meat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring every 2-3
 minutes. Add water whenever it becomes dry or tends to stick to
 the bottom of the pan. Next, add two cups of hot water and bring
 the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for another 15
 minutes or until the meat is tender. Check the dish for salt,
 according to your taste. When the gravy looks like it is thickening,
 turn off the heat, add the green chilies and keep it covered for
 about 5 minutes. Serve over basmati rice with some salad or chutney.
 You can substitute 4 to 6 small prunes to the dish for the sugar
 to add a little sweetness and variety. You can garnish the dish
 before serving with cashews or almonds. If you're so inclined you
 might also throw in a potato or two, cut up into 1 inch pieces,
 and add them during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Marinating the
 chicken longer than one hour increases the flavor too.
 Ghee is clarified butter -- butter that has the milk solids and
 water removed. It is very tasty and has been said to be healthier
 than plain butter.
 Note: Ghee does not require refrigeration if you keep it moisture
 free in a sealed jar. If you add any moisture (even dipping a wet
 spoon into it) you will need to refrigerate it.
 Ghee
 1 lb. high quality butter
 Bring the butter to boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium
 and cook uncovered until done. There are a couple of ways to
 determine when it is done. One way is after the butter turns a
 clear golden color, dip a strip of paper into the butter, then move
 away from the butter and all other flammables and light the strip
 of paper on fire, if the paper sputters, crackles and pops, then
 the water has not been completely cooked-out and the ghee is not
 yet done. After using this method a time or two you can easily tell
 by the smell and color when the ghee has been properly cooked. Note
 when the butter first starts to boil there will be alot of bubbling
 and gurgling, then this action will subside, next the ghee will
 begin to develop a foam at the top, at this point the ghee is done.
 Once you make Ghee a time or two it becomes easy to tell when it
 is done.