Serves 4 as a main dish

Korma is either loved (it is one of the favourite restaurant curries) or derided by those who prefer hotter curries. But korma is not just a mild, creamy dish but a style of cooking that means “to braise”, with origins in central Asia. Traditionally this oily, hot Kashmiri korma (yes, they can be hot!) is traditionally cooked with on-the-bone lamb or mutton but chicken works well and requires a lot less cooking time. Pandit Kashmiris (Brahmins) don’t eat onion so Marchwangan Korma is sometimes cooked without it.

What you need…
• 4 Tablespoons ghee
• 800g of chicken, cut into large chunks
• 4 green cardamons, cracked but not crushed
• 6 cloves
• 6cm piece of cinnamon stick
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Red Marinade
• 1 cooked beetroot, chopped, and 4 Tablespoons of the juice
• 8 red chillies, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 teaspoon paprika

How to make it…
1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade and blend to a fine paste with a little water. Add the chicken and leave to marinade for at least 2 hours but preferably 24 hours.
2. Heat half the ghee in a pan to a high heat and quickly seal the chicken (about 3 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the rest of the ghee to a high heat and fry the cardamons, cloves and cinnamon stick for 15 seconds. They should sizzle immediately.
4. Turn down the heat, add the garlic cloves and fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the onion and fry until it starts to brown (about 6–7 minutes).
6. Add the cumin, coriander and chilli powder and fry for 2 minutes.
7. Add the Red Marinade and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Turn down the heat to very lower, add the chicken and salt, cover and cook until the chicken is all cooked through (about 15–20 minutes).

If you like this you should try our…
Sag Paneer • Chilli Paneer • Butter Chicken • Butter Paneer • Prawn Korma • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Dopiaza • Ambot Tik

This curry is red, that much is true, it is so hot, it’ll make you go whooa!