Coconut Cashew Korma #1 (with AP aromatic base)

Coconut Cashew Korma [Whatever] #1

Serves: 5-6 (930 calories for entire batch of sauce, smaller - but richer - servings than most of my curries)

Loosely based on Razia Syed’s Chicken (Murghi Korma), 660 Curries cookbook

This is a rich, creamy sauce, hence the smaller servings. I suppose you could use lite coconut milk, but this probably won’t be nearly as satisfying. If making 6 servings, I’d consider thinning it out with some cashew milk.

Suggested protein: 1.5-2 lbs chicken thighs, trimmed

Suggested veg: FIrm, crisp veggies (but see also: green peas)

Marinade for protein (optional - see instructions for quick fix)

• 6 cloves garlic, pureed

• 1 T ginger puree

• 1 t kosher salt

• ½ t turmeric

• 2 T plain Greek yogurt

Sauce base

• ¼ c raw cashew pieces

• ¼ c boiling/hot water

• 1 t coconut oil

• (Dry spices)

• ½ t kosher salt

• ½ small onion, finely chopped (or 1 large; see All-purpose base note)

• 3 smallish chiles (cayenne-sized), fresh or dried (I used half a hot Hungarian wax pepper)

• 250 ml all-purpose base (LINK TO FOLLOW) or 1 large onion (+ 0.5 cup water)

• 6 oz full fat coconut milk

• 1 T butter / ghee / oil

Dry Spices

• ½ t whole cloves

• ½ t black peppercorns

• 6 green cardamom pods

• 3 black cardamom pods

• 1 ½ cinnamon stick (3” each)

• 2 bay leaves

Finishing touches (to taste)

• 1 t korma masala blend (below) or storebought garam masala

• 3 oz 0% plain Greek yogurt

• Pinch powdered stevia (or 1 t sugar)

• Extra water or cashew milk

Korma Masala Blend (Makes about 3 T)

• Approx ½ t canola oil (or melted coconut oil)

• ½ T coriander seeds

• ½ t black peppercorns

• ½ t cumin seeds

• ½ t fennel seeds

• ¼ t whole cloves

• ¼ t green cardamom seeds (about 4 pods)

• 2 bay leaves

• ½ t grated nutmeg

• ¼ t ground mace

• ¼ t ground cinnamon

• 2 T unsweetened shredded coconut flakes (8g)

At least 30 minutes before cooking or the night before:

Combine the marinade ingredients and use it to coat your protein of choice.

No time? Salt the protein immediately before cooking and saute it with the garlic and ginger. Saute the turmeric until brown and fragrant, about 30 seconds, before deglazing the pan. Just add a full 4 oz of yogurt at the end of the recipe.

Before cooking:

Cover the cashew pieces with the hot water and set aside while you prepare the spices.

Prepare the korma masala,: Combine all spices (not the coconut) in a small bowl and toss in just enough oil to lightly coat the seeds. Saute all spices in a skillet on medium-high heat until fragrant and begin to pop, 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut flakes and saute until medium brown in color, stirring continuously (about 30-45 seconds). Transfer to a plate to cool completely before grinding into a powder (may be paste-like if too much oil was used). Reserve until ready to serve the curry.

Sauce & Protein Assembly (30 mins + simmer) Make the sauce at least 30 minutes before serving (I let mine simmer for 3 hours because it afforded me a mid-day break. Your call, bud.)

In a skillet, heat the coconut oil on medium-high and toast all the dry spices together until fragrant and browned (3-5 minutes). Add the onion and fresh chillies, if using, and sweat with ½ t salt. As needed, use some of the all-purpose base or water to deglaze the pan. Transfer to a blender with the cashew pieces and water and blend until smooth. Add the all-purpose base and blend some more (Confession: I don’t trust my blender with these, so I removed the black cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks. I added these back in while the sauce simmered and removed them after about 30 minutes.) Transfer the blended liquids back into the pan, using some water to clean out the blender jar. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer at least 30 minutes, or as long as desired (if longer than 30 minutes, cover for part of the duration).

Protein prep: 20-30 minutes before serving, heat the butter/ghee/oil in a non-stick skillet on medium-high. Saute the protein in batches until lightly browned. Add to the sauce and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Add the yogurt, korma masala, stevia/sugar (if using), and check for taste and consistency.

Note: Fat free yogurt has a tendency to curdle when it comes into contact with the hot sauce. I've been more successful tempering it in a small bowl with some of the sauce.

#curries #APcurry #savory #recipetesting