Behind every food blogger is an amazing mom who passed on her passion for cooking and taste buds to enjoy different cuisines. Living away from my parents means I can only try to feel closer by making foods that remind me of home. Topping that list of comfort foods is Mama’s Chicken Qorma. I know many of you miss home. So, I hope this special family recipe reminds you of your mom too. Do let me know what you think.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 chicken (1kg/2.2 pounds), cut in 12 pieces
- 3 medium sized onions, finely sliced
- 1 piece mace (javitri)
- 6 green cardamom (choti elaichi( – little black seeds only
- 4 almonds
Grind in a spice grinder or use a mortar pestle to coarsely grind. This will get blended with the fried onions.
Powdered spices:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 heaped tablespoon Shan Korma Masala
Whole spices:
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay lead
- 1 black cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 6 cloves
- 8 peppercorns
3 tablespoons plain whipped yogurt
METHOD:
- Fry the onions in oil until they turn deep golden brown. (Adding a pinch of salt helps speed up the process).
- Add the ground mace, almonds, and cardamom to the fried onions and then blend using water until you get a thick paste.
- Next add the chicken pieces to the same oil used to fry onions (remove excess if needed).
- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté (bhoono) the chicken for a few minutes. The chicken will release it’s moisture and it is important you let all of it evaporate and let the oil separate before adding the spices.
- Once the chicken’s excess moisture is released, take a few tablespoons of water and add to the powdered spices and whole masalas. Add this to the chicken and stir fry on medium high heat until the spices are no longer raw. This will take a few minutes, and the oil will separate from the gravy.
- At this point, add the whipped yogurt. Mix and lower the heat slightly.
- Add the fried onions mixture, mixed with 2 cups of HOT water. Mix and then cover and simmer for 20-22 minutes until the chicken is tender and the oil separates well from the gravy.
- Serve with hot naan, or matar pulao (pea pilaf).
