Whenever my children return home for the weekend, they want nothing more than the fridge stuffed to the brim, chilled wine and food on tap to satisfy their discerning palates. There's a host of their favourites on their 'comfort food list,' so it's all about how much I want to indulge them. My chicken shahi korma certainly hits the spot. With its roots in Mughal royalty, the mild korma is cooked using yoghurt, almonds, cream and aromatic spices to create a delicate but rich tasting dish. 'Welcome home guys.'

Chicken Shahi Korma

Serves 4

• 1 kg chicken thighs, skinless and boneless with all fat removed, each thigh chopped into 4 pieces
• 5 Large Cloves of Garlic
• 5 cm Piece of Ginger, peeled
• 1 Green Chilli
• 4 tbsp Sunflower Oil
• 2 Large Onions, finely chopped
• 250g Natural Greek Full Fat Yoghurt
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Garam Masala 
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 2 tbsp Ground Almonds
• 1 tbsp Flaked Almonds
• 150ml Double Cream
• 30g Coriander, finely chopped

Method

• Grind the garlic, ginger and chilli in a herb mill to form a paste.
• Heat the oil in a pan adding the onions and the garlic, ginger, chilli paste.
• Fry on a moderate heat until the onions are golden brown and add the yoghurt and ground almonds, stirring for a couple of minutes.
• Add the chicken, salt, garam masala, coriander powder, flaked almonds and mix well.
• On a low to medium heat, cook for about 40-45 minutes until the chicken is well cooked and the gravy is a darker shade of brown and has thickened.
• Add the cream and stir in. 
• Heat through, stir in the coriander and serve with hot Basmati rice or Indian bread, such as Chapatti or Naan.

Tips

• If you make your own homemade garam masala you will find that the shahi korma is far more aromatic and the spices have more depth to them. I will post my garam masala recipe for you very shortly.