Homestyle Chicken Korma

I love my Kormas. Most of all I love Bangladeshi Kormas, which tend to be lightly spiced but heavily flavored. We do not put a lot of heavy cream like the Indian version but prefer onions and ghee to give the creaminess. I came across this recipe in the New York Times via Shama Mubdi. This is supremely easy to make. Stir it all in and cook. The flavors are authentic.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds bone-in chicken (dark meat best)
• 2 medium onions, peeled
• 1.5 inch of ginger, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
• 4 to 6 green cardamom pods
• 3 to 5 cloves
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 3-in stick cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 to 3 small hot green peppers
• 4 tbsp of ghee

Directions

1. Thinly slice one onion and set aside
2. Roughly chop the other onion, and then puree it in a blender with the garlic and ginger until smooth. Add water if necessary.
3. Combine the puree, chicken, yogurt, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a covered Dutch oven and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes.
4. Uncover and bring the pot to a low simmer
5. Cook until chicken is tender. Flip occasionally. 20-35 minutes.
6. Add in the sliced chilis and sugar and stir.
7. Adjust the thickness of the gravy by adding water or cooking it down.
8. Heat the ghee and the thinly sliced onions in a pan over medium heat until they are a rich brown. 5-7 minutes.
9. Season the onions with a pinch of salt and stir it into the korma.