Chicken Kurma

One of my favourite chicken dish! There are many versions of chicken kurma.  It can be cooked fairly dry or with gravy. For a thicker gravy, usually about 1 tablespoon of ground almonds or cashewnuts is added during the last few minutes of cooking. Mixed kurma powder can be easily purchased from any grocery or supermaket for those who do not stock up on individual spices in their kitchen.  

My mum used to cook this in a big pot and we would have this with rice for lunch and dinner! It even tastes better the next day, as most curries do.  Have not cooked this for quite a while, this is a mild curry dish that children will love.  It is really nice, eaten with our local nasi minyak or nasi briyani with a cucumber salad on the side. I ate this with some plain white rice and sambal belacan.  Yummy!

Chicken Kurma

Ingredients :

1 kg chicken, cut to bite-sized pieces, remove skin and fats

2 pcs 4cm stick cinnamon

5 cloves

6 cardamom pods

2 big onions, sliced

salt to taste

cooking oil

Blended ingredients : to blend together 

8 cloves garlic

60gm ginger

12-15 shallots

6 green chillies, seeded and cut to pieces

Mixed paste : mix with enough water to make into a thick paste 

2 tsp ground white pepper

2 tsp tumeric powder

3 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp fennel powder

3/4 tbsp cumin powder

4-5 potatoes, quartered

4 green chillies, split and seeded

2 tomatoes, quatered

2 cups coconut milk (3/4 cup thick coconut milk mix with 1-1/4 cups water)

For garnishing: (optional)

some fresh coriander leaves

deep-fried crispy shallots

Method :

1. Heat oil and fry onions till soft.  Add in cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods and saute until aromatic.

2. Add blended ingredients and fry for about 2-3 minutes.  Add in mixed paste and fry until fragrant and oil  separates. 

3. Add in chicken pieces and stir until well coated with the spices.  Pour in the coconut milk and cover.

4. Let it boil for about 2 minutes and add in potatoes, tomatoes and green chillies.  Add salt to taste.

5. Cover and simmer until chicken  and the potatoes are cooked. 

6. Dish out and sprinkle some crispy fried shallots. Enjoy!