Topic: Korma sauce

[DalPuri]

I made this last night just experimenting.
Ive been trying to nail a few recipes particularly the creamy ones.
I cant remember the last time i bought a korma but it must be 30 years? 

Anyway, this is adapted from Ghanna's recipe.
If there's any Korma lovers out there, i'd appreciate it if you would give me your opinion.
I dont fancy the idea of chucking chef spoons of sugar into curries so this isn't as sweet as most but sweet enough i think.

2 tbsp spiced oil
1/4 grated onion
pinch methi
1 portion gravy (300ml)
50g creamed coconut block
2 level tbsp unsalted ground almonds
2 level tbsp unsalted ground cashews
1 small tin carnation milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp butter ghee
pinch maldon salt
half mug of water

fry onion gently in seasoned oil until golden.
add methi and stir for 30 seconds.
add gravy and turn up the heat.
add coconut and stir until disolved.
add the rest of the ingredients and simmer with a lid on
until the oil seperates.
Stirring occasionally to stop it catching.

Thanks, Frank. 

** The lid is because the sweet curries glug away like when making jam and you dont want to get that on your skin 

**Edit  The ground nuts could be taken down to 1 rounded tbsp each. 

[976bar]

Hi Frank,

This is the recipe I use, and my daughter who is a Korma fanatic, will not buy a Korma from a restaurant anymore because she can't find one as good as this.

And before a certain person jumps on the bandwagon to try and gain brownie points on the forum, no it's not my recipe, but I cannot remember where I got it from, I think it might be CA's?? Anyway's give it a go and I hope you enjoy it

Serves 1-2
Ingredients:
300g skinless chicken breast (chopped into approximately 1 inch cubes)
60 ml veg oil
1tsp fresh garlic (pureed)
1 tsp turmeric powder
200ml curry base
6 tbsp coconut milk powder
2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
0.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
100ml fresh single cream
milk (as required)
2tbsp almond meal (or cashew meal)
fresh chopped coriander - optional

Method:
Stir the coconut milk powder (and almond meal or cashew meal, if using), into the cream, to make a lump-free paste.
Heat the curry base to a gentle simmer
Heat the oil in a suitable pan (I use a cast iron wok) until almost smoking
Add the chicken and fry, for a couple of minutes, on high heat, with continuous stirring, until sealed (i.e. just white on the outside).
Add the garlic and turmeric and fry, for a minute or so, with continuous stirring (do not burn!)
Add a ladle of curry base and stir
Continue to add the curry base, a little at a time, stirring occasionally as the water evaporates and the sauce thickens.
Add the coconut/meal/cream paste and sugar and stir
Continue to simmer, on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to separate (5 to 10 minutes),  maintain the sauce to the desired consistency by adding a little milk (or cream)
Add fresh coriander to taste (if using)
Serve

[DalPuri]

Thanks for that Bob.
Although your intentions are good, i wasn't really after another recipe.
I only wanted an opinion on my adapted recipe.
It does look like CA's recipe and i have tried it before.
I just find CA's creamy curries too rich for me.
e.g. 6 tbsp coconut milk powder is the equivalent to 1 litre of coconut milk. 
Plus im trying to avoid adding loads of sugar into curries as that is what ALL the curry houses do around here. 
So sweet theyre almost inedible.!

It was the grated onion i was particularly happy with after thinking there was something missing from most recipes.
So please give this a try. If its rubbish then so be it. I only want opinions, good or bad 

Thanks, Frank. 

[976bar]

Hi Frank,

Sorry, maybe I misread your post.

I have to say that since I saved this recipe I have cut the coconut powder back to 3 tbsp and although I still heave in 2 tbsp sugar, I wonder how much sugar content a tin of carnation milk contains? And I only ask as I have never used the stuff so I really do not know...

With regards to the onion do you not puree the dish after cooking the sauce? In the south and it maybe different anywhere else, I have never encountered a Korma with bits of onion in, they have always been smooth silky sauces..

Kind Regards,

Bob

[DalPuri]

No Problem Bob, first posted recipe n all that, dont mind me 

I dont think carnation (evaporated) milk has any sugar in it. Condensed is the sweet one.
As far as the onions go, it came to me in a thought taste.
i made the ghanna recipe to spec and started thinkin.....
It might be from the days when i used to add the onion salad on the top? who knows. but i thought it worked.

My base sauce is pureed, but do you mean you puree the curry after cooking?

Cheers, Frank.

[jb]

Definitely not a korma fan myself but as I've had a couple of requests to make it I'll check these recipes out,thanks guys.I wonder whatever happened to Ghanna? Or CA come to think of it,they have just disappeared from here.

[976bar]

Hi Frank,

What is the calorific content of the carnation you use? I'm just wondering whether it is a suitable replacement for the cream and sugar I use in a Korma?? Looking at it from a more healthier point of view

With regards to blending the sauce, I make a Kashmiri Chicken Masala which my son loves, in which I use half a chopped onion as part of the sauce.

Once the sauce has been cooked through and reduced to a thickish consistency, I then throw the lot into a blender and whisk until I get a smooth sauce. This also helps thicken the sauce too,

I then return it to the pot and add the pre-cooked Chicken and warm through thoroughly before serving. If the sauce has become too thick which I kinda like because the flavours are more intense, then I just add a little milk or extra cream to thin it out a bit.

I was just wondering whether you use this kind of practice with your Korma or whether you serve it with the pieces of onion still intact?

[976bar]

Oh!! and I forgot to add, I am sure CA is still around, and probably one of the best contributor's to this forum in my opinion

[DalPuri]

Hi Bob, I've never whizzed a sauce after i've cooked it. Thats a new one on me 
I've only tried a few creamy recipes lately just for nostalgia.
And the onion thing, i dunno. It was not only to add depth but feel as well. The tiny bits of onion that you  like to mince with your teeth  ;D

The sauce was a bit thick still though and could've done with more water but overall a good flavour.
It went straight in the freezer anyway. I was just being creative 

Its just so easy to play around when everything is made in bulk, frozen and ready to go.

Frank. 

[Wickerman]

@ 976bar.
Hi.
I'm after a good Korma and was also thinking about using CA's Chicken Korma recipe.
Can you tell me if you also use his base gravy with your Korma recipe?
I know it's not always a good idea to mix recipes with different bases,but i still have quite a bit of abdulmohed's gravy left in my freezer,(minus the 6 chillis)and was wondering if that may work,or would i be better making  a batch of  CA's base?


 @DalPuri.
Hi.
Your sauce also sounds very good.
Decisions,decisions..

Thanks.