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| CHICKEN
PISTACHIO KORMA
PISTA CHICKEN
(DELHI)
I first ate this dish long ago in a small roadside
restaurant in a by-lane in the heart of Bombay's bazaar areas. Years
later i met the cook, who originally comes from a family of professional
wedding caterers near the Jama Masjid mosque area of Old Delhi.It
is very dellicate in taste, and attractive to look at with its creamy
light green colour. The taste depends on the quality of pistachios
used - the brighter green, the better. This dish deserves all-white
meat, so breast of chicken is best. One can of course make it with
a whole chicken as well.
| Serves
4 |
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| 1kg
chicken |
3/4
teaspoon garam masala powder |
| 100g
shelled pistaachio nuts, unsalted |
1/8
teaspoon turmeric powder |
| 8
green chillies |
2
cinnamom leaves |
| 5
tablespoons single cream |
3/4
teaspoon ground white pepper |
| 3
tasblespoons whole milk yoghurt |
11/4
teaspoons fennel seeds (saunf) |
| 2
onions, chopped |
1
greenish tomato, chopped |
| oil |
salt |
1
x1/2-in (2.5 x 1-cm) piece of fresh
ginger, chopped |
1
teaspoon green cardamom powder |
| 6
plump garllic cloves |
2
tablespoons chopped coriander leaves |
1 Cut the chicken into pieces as desired. Use the bones
and trimmings to make 3 cups stock.
2 Boil the pistachios for 10 minutes in 1 cup water. Remove
from that heat, drain and leave to cool. Rub the nuts with you
fingers to remove the skin. Grind the pistaachios with 4 of the
green chillies and single cream and reduce to a paste in a blender.
3 Whisk the yoghurt well with a fork.
4 Fry the onion in the oil in a cooking pot until lightly
coloured. Add the ginger, garlic, garam masala and turmeric
powders, cinnamon leaves, white pepper and fennel seeds and fry
for 2 minutes. Add the pistachio mixture and fry for 2 minutes.
5 Add the chicken and saute for 5 minutes. Then add the
tomato, yoghurt, remaining chillies and salt to taste. Add the
chicken stock (or water) and cook until done, about 15-20 minutes
depending on the size of chicken pieces. Sprinkle with cardamom
powder and coriander leaves just before serving.
In India, gourmets use Peshwari pistaachios for their taste
and bright green colour.
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