The reason I called this curry ‘Northern India’ is because there are actually 2 variations of korma – north and south. Northern korma is yogurt-based, where the southern version is coconut based. Looking at the two of them, you may see slight differences in the colors depending on the combination of spices used. Korma is different than the tomato based curries in that this chicken korma starts with an onion base and includes cashews, yogurt and spices. Indian cooking has always been about building flavors in layers and this Korma is no exception! There are many curries that originate from India with Chicken Tikka Masala being one of the most popular. Chicken Madras and this Northern India Chicken Korma are close behind, however, this qorma might just be my all time favorite. Preparation is key to achieving maximum flavor and the all important first step is the preparation of the onion paste. Onions are slowly browned to bring out amazing sweetness, then blended into a paste with cashews added for creaminess. The second stage is ‘cooking’ the spices in oil. This helps take away the raw taste and the third step is cooking the chicken with yogurt that is also mixed with spices along with the onion paste. This makes the chicken so soft and deliciously tender.
This Korma recipe uses both black and green cardamom pods in ground form, providing very different flavors. The black is slightly smokey and the green is more herbal with essence of eucalyptus and mint. There is a nicely balanced amount of spice to this dish. It’s not so hot that you’d have trouble comfortably eating it, but the spicy heat is definitely noticeable. If you like it spicier, you can add more kashmiri powder.
Serving suggestions
I always serve my curries with plain basmati rice. I also have to have Naan Bread for soaking up the curry sauce.
This is a brilliant red Indian chili pepper powder, not a chili spice blend.
