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Bangladeshi White Chicken Korma – Chicken meat is braised in aromatic spices and yogurt to give you a thick creamy white chicken korma. A perfect easy one-pot dish that you will absolutely love!
Bangladeshi White Chicken Korma
BANGLADESHI WHITE CHICKEN KORMA
Korma is a popular dish in the Indian subcontinent such as India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Korma can be traced back to Medieval India during Mughlai empire. There are several different types of korma too. This version I made here is known as white chicken korma. The appearance of the dish is white pale in color (hence the name, white chicken korma) with thick creamy sauce topped with golden plum raisins and slivered almond. I love the contrast of texture here and the balance of savory, sweet, and tang here.
ACIDOPHILUS YOGURT IN KORMA
A good sour yogurt, such as the acidophilus yogurt will make a great korma. Madhur Jaffrey shared that if you can’t find the acidophilus yogurt, just add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to the regular plain yogurt. I’ve tried the unorthodox way by using sour cream and it was really delish too.
TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE BANGLADESHI WHITE CHICKEN KORMA
1. Stir fry the spices and herb
When you stir fry the spices and herb, it really helps to amplify the flavor into the dish
2. Control the heat
Make sure you do not brown the ingredient paste and chicken because that will not give you white chicken korma. The chicken and paste are briefly cook under medium heat
3. Only a bit of water
Traditionally, this dish is cooked by adding water a bit by a bit. I used 1/4 cup of water to braise the chicken. You’ll be surprised by how much water you ended up with during the braising process
4. Stir in the yogurt or sour cream last
Dairy product will curdle when exposed to high heat. I turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt. The residual heat will heat up the yogurt nicely to give you smooth and creamy end result
WHAT TO SERVE BANGLADESHI WHITE CHICKEN KORMA WITH?
They can be served with naan or any rice dishes like pilaf/pulau
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT BANGLADESHI WHITE CHICKEN KORMA
Leftover can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. If you plan to keep longer, freeze them by dividing into smaller portion. They can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. Thaw before reheating on stove or microwave.
Recipe is adapted from At Home With Madhur Jaffrey Cookbook.
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Bangladeshi White Chicken Korma
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken pieces with bone or 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 Tbsp ghee
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup golden raisin
- 1-2 tsp finely chopped fresh hot green chilies optional
- ½ cup acidophilus yogurt , or plain yogurt plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice, beaten until smooth
Spices and herb:
- 5 cloves
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamon pods
- 3 bay leaves
Ingredients to be grind:
- 1 medium onion , sliced into fine half rings
- 6 cloves garlic , crushed with garlic press
- 2 inch knob fresh ginger
Seasonings:
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
Garnish:
- Fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
Prepare the chicken:
- If you use a whole chicken, skin the chicken and cut into small serving pieces. Breast into 6 pieces, each leg into 2 pieces, wings into 3 pieces, back into 3 pieces, neck into 2 pieces
- If you use boneless skinless chicken, cut into large bite size
Grind ingredients:
- Place onion, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and process into fine paste. Add a bit of water if needed
Cooking:
- Melt ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add the spices and herb and stir fry for about 10 seconds. Add the onion, garlic, ginger paste. Stir fry for another 1 minute. Be careful not to brown the paste. Add the chicken pieces and stir to mix everything. Pour in 1/4 cup of water and seasonings. Bring to a gentle simmer and then cover the lid and lower the heat to let the chicken braise for the next 10 minutes if you use boneless chicken meat or 15-20 minutes if you use bone-in chicken
- Stir in the slivered almonds, raisin, and green chili and cook for another minute. Stir in the yogurt and turn off the heat. Stir to mix everything. Have a taste and season with more salt to your taste. It should be savory with a hint of tang. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves
Serving:
- Serve with rice or naan, or crusty bread if you like