Easy Chicken Kurma- South Indian Creamy Chicken Curry

Chicken Kurma is a quintessential dish for Indian parties and special occasions. Chicken Korma/kurma is magical, with few ingredients, but with great flavors and taste. The chicken is soft and tender, cooked in a mildly spiced, velvety sauce. The curry is delectable, but it is not an everyday meal. Ghee or clarified butter, nut paste, cream, yogurt, etc., makes it a calorie-rich meal. So today's recipe is an easy, low-calorie, home-style chicken kurma with no compromise to taste. It is easy to put together and is ready in under 30 minutes. The luscious and creamy sauce of chicken kurma is irresistible, and this delicious gravy and is versatile. If you want to try a vegetarian option, try adding mixed vegetables, peas, potatoes, paneer, or chickpeas to the sauce. Kurma goes well with flatbread, naan, pulao, roti, and appam.

The basic korma/kurma sauce has nut paste and yogurt. There are so many regional variations of Korma/kurma, and local ingredients add a unique touch. In the North Indian chicken korma, almonds, chirongi, cashew nuts, and cream adds richness to the sauce. In the South Indian kurma, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, and coconut paste, adds flavor to the kurma sauce. For today's curry, I am using coconut milk instead of cream. It adds flavor and creaminess to the sauce. The base sauce consists of onions, yogurt coconut, and cashew nuts. The sauce is then blended with all the ingredients in a blender for a creamy consistency. Cashew nut adds a nutty flavor and helps thicken the sauce, and there is the sweetness of coconut milk. It tastes divine with naan or parottas. Go ahead then and give it a try. I am sure you'll love them too!

Easy Chicken Kurma- South Indian Creamy Chicken Curry

Ingredients
Chicken - 1 kg
Onions finely chopped - 3 medium
Green chilly- 4-5
Ginger- 1 inch piece
Garlic - 5 cloves
Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Poppy Seeds- 1 tbs
Cashew nuts- 12-14
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp (optional)
Yogurt- 3 tbs
Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Ghee /butter- 1 tsp
Oil -2 tbs
Coriander leaves chopped- 2 tsp
Whole garam masala- cinnamon stick 1, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamon, star aniseed- 1

Clean, and cut the chicken into small pieces. Whisk together yogurt, one tsp of salt, a pinch of turmeric, and chilly powder till well blended. Marinate the chicken pieces with this paste for 15 minutes.
Soak cashew nuts and poppy seeds in warm water for half an hour. Into a blender, add grated coconut, soaked poppy seeds, cashew nuts, and make a fine paste.

Heat one tsp of oil in a pan and saute chopped onions till soft and golden. Add chopped, green chilly, ginger, and garlic and saute till the raw flavor disappears. Turn off the heat and let it cool down and make a fine paste.

In a heavy bottom pan, heat ghee, and oil, and add whole garam masala. Gently roast till there is a nice aroma. Add onions paste and saute till oil separates.
Add the ground coconut and nut paste, and cook for two minutes. Mix in the spice powders and enough salt and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the marinated chicken and saute for one or two minutes till the chicken pieces lose pink shade and turn white. Pour 2 cups of warm water and close the lid tightly and cook in the medium. Stir occasionally. When the chicken is fully cooked, add the coconut milk and stir. Serve with naan, chapati, or pulao/rice pilaf.