Murg Awadhi Korma

Awadhi cuisine is from the city of Lucknow, which is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India, and the cooking patterns of the city are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern India as well. The cuisine consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Awadh has been greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques, and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of Persia, Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad; and the city is known for Nawabi foods.

Korma is actually the Indian name for the technique of braising meat. It originated in the lavish Moghul cuisine wherein lamb or chicken was braised in velvety, spiced sauces, enriched with ground nuts, cream and butter. While kormas are rich, they are also mild, containing little or no cayenne or chillies. There are both vegetarian(navratan korma) and non-vegetarian (chicken, lamb, beef & fish korma) varieties of korma. Murgh Awadhi Korma is a classic from Lucknow.

Don't get overwhelmed by the list of ingredients, as most of them are fairly available in an Indian kitchen. This korma is actually easy to put together and a guaranteed "crowd pleaser".

Murg Awadhi Korma
Adapted from here

Ingredients:
1 kg                Chicken (boneless)
To taste           Salt
1 tsp               Turmeric powder
For frying        Oil
5 - 6 nos.         Onions (finely sliced)
150 gm            Cashewnuts
20 gm              Turmeric powder
15 gm              Red chilli powder
30 gm              Coriander powder
2 - 3 nos.          Bay leaf
1 inch piece      Cinnamon
4 -  5 pods        Green cardamom
4 -5 nos.           Cloves
10 nos.              Black peppercorns
2 flakes              Mace
1 tsp                 Shahi Jeera
1 tbsp               Garlic paste
1 tbsp               Ginger paste
2 nos.               Green chillies (slit lengthwise)
250 gm             Curd (whisked properly)
10 ml                Rose water
10 ml                Kewra water
2 drops             Mitha Ittar
A pinch             Green Cardamom powder
A pinch             Mace powder

Method:
In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken pieces with 1 tsp salt and turmeric powder and keep aside to marinate.
Heat oil in a kadhai, add sliced onions and fry on a medium flame till onions are light golden. Remove and drain on absorbent paper.In the same oil, add cashews, fry till light golden, remove and drain on absorbent paper.
Grind the onions and cashews separately to smooth pastes.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder with 1½ tbsp water to form a paste. Keep aside.
Heat some of the oil (in which onions & cashews were fried) in a large frying pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, mace and shahi jeera. When spices crackle, add ginger-garlic paste, the turmeric-chilli-coriander paste, green chillies and sauté till oil separates.
Mix in the beaten curd and keep stirring continuously to prevent the mixture from curdling. Cook till oil separates.
Add marinated chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Mix in 4 tbsp onion paste and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Add about 30 gm cashew paste with about 200 ml water and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or till chicken is done. When done, remove the chicken from the gravy.
Heat the gravy in a saucepan, mix in rose water, kewra water and mitha ittar and cook for about 30 seconds. Add cardamom powder and mace powder and immediately remove from flame. Add chicken and serve hot.

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