| WHITE
CHICKEN KORMA
SAFED MURGH KORMA
(AGRA)
A mild aromatic korma, this is basically a Muslim court dish a
blend of Mogholai and nawabi cuisine. The moghul emperor shahjehan,
builder of the Taj Mahal monument, used to have all white banquetes
on full moon nights at the agra fort. The terrace of the fort was
bedecked with white carpets and cushions and white flowers, the
guests dressed in white, and all the
dishes served were white in colour. The white korma was later
prefected at the table of the gourmet Nawabs of Oudh in Lucknow.
The Royal House of Jaipur, connected by marriage to the Moghuls,
also served all white banquets on the night of Sharad Poornima,
the Septmeber full moon,m as late as the 1960s.Originally this dish
was made with almonds only,but modern cooks prefer a combinations
of cashwes and almonds. The traditional Lucknowi recipe also include
loz(25g) chaar magaz or 'four seeds', a mix of various melon,
squash and pumpkin seeds available from grocers, and a teaspoon
of powdered rose petals, but these are omitted here.
| Servers
5-6 |
|
| 11/2
teaspons poppy seeds |
4
green cardamoms |
| 150g
whole milk yoghurt |
2
teaspoons finely chopped garlic |
| 1/3
cup ghee |
2
teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger |
| 50g
blanched almonds |
1
whole green chilli |
| 50g
unsalted cashew nuts |
1
clove |
| 2
cinnamon leaves |
1
kg boneless chicken breasts, skinned |
| 350g
onions, chopped |
1/4
teaspoon nutmeg powder |
| 3
green chillies, chopped |
salt |
1 Soak the poppy seeds in 1/2 cup water for 1 hour. then
drain off the water and grind into a fine paste with a pestle and
mortar. (hamam/dasta)
2 Hang the yoghurt in a cheese cloth for 1 hour to drain
off the whey. Then put the hung yoghurt into a bowl and whisk.
3 Heat most of the ghee in a cooking pot, add the almonds,
cashwes and cinmon or bay leaf and fry for about 7-8 minutes over
a moderate heat. Add the onions and fry for about 7-8 minutes or
until lightly colured. Add the chopped green chillies, cardamoms
and ground poppy seeds and fry for about 3-4 minutes. Add i cup
water and cook for 10 minutes. Remove
from the heat, discard the cinnamon or bay leaf and leave to cool.
put the mixture into a blender and pure to a smooth paste without
any grains.
4 Add 1 tablespoon ghee to the cooking pot, then add the
garlic, ginger, whole green chilli and clove. After 1 minute add
the chicken pieces. The chicken will gradually relkease its juices
then cook until the meat is almost dry. Then lower the fire, add
the yoghurt and stir continously to prevent it from curding.
5 Add the ground spice mixture with the numeg and mace powders
and salt to taste. Stir well and add 1/2 cups
hot water. Tste sthe mixture. If you find it bland, you can add
additional whole green chillies. Cook over a low heat for about
30 minutes or until the chicken is tender. |
