Topic: Chicken korma assessment 2020

[George]

George, I've never been to the UK. The only knowledge of BIR food is what I make following the recipes and methods on this site and other resources.  I've had plenty of different Korma dishes over the years and one in particular was among the best Indian dishes I've ever eaten. I've never been able to get close to making it.
I've seen Korma recipes that are ridiculously complex and include ingredients like rose water and kewra water, gold leaf, etc. Some I've made tasted like eating flower petals and were not good at all.  I have also made some successful Korma that have been tasty and enjoyable.
I'm not prone to harsh criticism but this one was truly dull. The base gravy was fine and as you described quite acceptable on its own. The unspiced combination of this gravy with pre-cooked chicken (roast), evaporated milk, coconut and nuts (almonds and cashews) was just nothing. The remaining portion is going in the bin today.
MA, if you are basing your assessment of Korma on dishes similar to this, I understand your view. A Korma can be a delicious dish. This wasn't.

Quoted above is one of the few remaining frequenters of this forum's damning assessment of a perfectly good korma recipe, designed to replicate the type of dish served in British Indian restaurants. The recipe was strongly hinted at by Ghanna in 2005 and I provided suggested quantites around the same time. I haven't made the recipe for at least 10 years but I know from my comments back then, that it's certainly half decent.

What can have gone wrong with Livo's attempt? Plenty. I'm quite sure that if I had been there watching, he would have made big mistakes. But some people will be pleased that Livo has now joined the cult of korma haters.

I suggest it is seriously misguided. I never order korma these days but the fact remains it is one of the top sellers in both restaurants and supermarkets. Many people must arrive here in search of a korma recipe but be deterred by a hostile attitude. It's so sad and hardly in the interest of the forum owner who must be seeking to develop the number of active members.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Livo has now joined the cult of korma haters.

I don't really think that a man who writes :

A Korma can be a delicious dish.

can truly be classed as a korma-hater; do you, George ?
** Phil.

[livo]

Precisely Phil.

George, you appear to have taken my comments as personal affront. This was not my intention at all and I am most definitely not a Korma Hater.  I have always claimed to enjoy Korma and have stated several times that one of the most delicious Indian dishes I've ever enjoyed was a Chicken Korma.  I have researched Korma extensively and tried so many different recipes I couldn't guess at a number. Some have been good and other not so good.

I am simply saying that this recipe did absolutely nothing for me.  I didn't rate it at all.  The base gravy of MarkJ recipe (albeit scaled down) was fine.  If I made mistakes in the preparation of this dish I'd love to know how.  It is a mildly spiced base gravy, evaporated milk, pre-cooked chicken, powdered nuts and creamed coconut.  No spice to begin or end, no chilli or coriander. Nothing, and that is what the dish turned out to be, I suppose as could have been expected.

Possibly the addition of some basic Korma spices and a bit of fresh mild green chilli might have made a difference, but I followed the recipe to produce the dish as intended.  Not to my liking is all I'm saying.  It isn't hostile and I'll leave it to others to make it and judge for themselves.

[George]

Livo - I am sorry if I am being unfair. But couldn't you have tried to save what you made by adding some extra spice if that's what it appeared to need?  It's good to hear that, like myself, you are interested in fine tasting kormas. Back in the 1980s I recall that local curry houses produced kormas which were quite like Ghanna's recipe. But when I went to restaurants in the West End of London and paid more, their kormas had a finer flavour. One of the most flavourless and bland I ever tasted was at a top hotel in North India. I may try making kormas again, to see if I can produce 'fine flavours'.

[livo]

No problem George. I was very busy yesterday and today had the unpleasant requirement of attending the celebration of a life cut short. I know a curry is usually better the next day and as I hadn't binned the Korma decided to give it a second chance. It had improved somewhat, but I still felt it was too bland. I have a container of a masala powder in my spice cupboard simply marked Korma. I have no recollection of when I made it but I decided to put it to use.

I heated up a bit of pure butter Ghee, quickly fried 1 tsp of the spice mix and added 1 grated small onion and a seeded and chopped fresh green chilli.  To this I added the remaining Korma dish and heated it through. The result was a big improvement and both Mrs L and I enjoyed eating it for a quick and easy meal.

All was not lost and it can now be considered a step in research and development.

[Garp]

I never order korma these days but the fact remains it is one of the top sellers in both restaurants and supermarkets. Many people must arrive here in search of a korma recipe but be deterred by a hostile attitude. It's so sad and hardly in the interest of the forum owner who must be seeking to develop the number of active members.

I have to agree, George. Some on here don't consider Korma to be a 'real' curry (if such a thing exists) - certainly not a 'real man's' curry.

I never have one when dining out but often make a version of CA's for friends and relatives, and, sometimes, myself - and a lovely dish it is too.

So if, like you say George, any new members come looking for a decent Korma recipe, this is a good starting point ....

Chicken Korma

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

- 3 or 4 portions of pre-cooked chicken
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil.
- 4 tsp fresh garlic (pureed)
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 400ml curry base
- About

[pap rika]

Hi Garp. Don't see coconut powder in you list of ingredients, do you feel it's not needed, or is it just a personal preference.

Regards pap rika

[George]

- 200ml fresh single cream

Every time I have seen a BIR kitchen, the cream they use is not fresh but St Ivel UHT in a carton. This would give a distinctive edge which must be relevant for anyone trying to recreate a BIR type korma.

Some time ago, I looked in Costco and elsewhere to try and find St Ivel UHT cream. Elusive is not the word. But if you can obtain it, that's almost certainly the type of cream to use.

[George]

Hi Garp. Don't see coconut powder in you list of ingredients, do you feel it's not needed, or is it just a personal preference.

The recipe is using coconut cream instead of coconut powder. I agree the powder is probably what most BIRs use.

[Onions]

I have to agree, George. Some on here don't consider Korma to be a 'real' curry (if such a thing exists) - certainly not a 'real man's' curry.

Yes, it's the spirit of how many pints etc, or, as the fella said, "he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me"...