Chicken (or lamb) korma is one of my favorite dishes. When well prepared it can be heavenly, smooth and complex and oh so delicious. It's commonly available at Indian restaurants (probably more commonly here than in India), though Bangladeshis claim it as their own.

I should have realized from the ingredients that this recipe for chicken korma was not going to produce satisfying results. It is too simple and calls for too few spices. Indeed, when it was bland and one-dimensional, eatable but not much else. I tried to spice it up by adding some cumin and coriander, but it didn't improve it too much. I'd recommend that if you want to make chicken korma you use another recipe. Personally, I'll continue ordering out for this dish.

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Chicken Korma

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. skinless/boneless chicken breasts, cubed

6 tbsp. ghee (substitute w/ butter or oil)

1 tsp. turmeric

4 tbsp. milk

4 tbsp. garlic puree

8 tbsp. onion puree

2 tsp. garam masala

1/3 cup yoghurt

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp. almonds, ground

20 saffron strands

salt to taste

Instructions

Mix the turmeric with the milk and set aside. Heat the ghee in a medium-size sauce pan over high temperature. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the onion and fry for 3 minutes, until the moisture evaporates. Add the garam masala and fry for 2 minutes. Add the yoghurt, cream and ground almonds and bring to a boil. Bring down heat and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, place the saffrons trands in warm water and press with a spoon, trying to extract as much color as possible. Once the chicken is done, add the saffron water and mix well. Add salt and serve.

Adapted from a recipe at the RecipeLand.com website.