Chicken korma with festival rice
A fragrent and creamy chicken korma served with festive rice bejeweled with apricot, goji berries and edible rose petals.
Ingredients
For the chicken korma
- 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
- 1½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 3cm/1¼in piece ginger, finely chopped or grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 curry leaves
- 100g/3½oz block creamed coconut, grated
- 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
- 2 green chillies, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3 large chicken breasts (600g/1lb 5oz in total), cut into 1.5cm chunks
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp chilli powder
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 1½ tbsp ground coriander
- 200g/7oz crème fraîche
- handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped, to serve
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú pomegranate seeds, to serve
For the festival rice
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 4 black cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 dry apricots, finely diced
- 500g/18oz white basmati rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 litre/1¾ pints boiling water
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp dry edible rose petals, to serve
- 1 tbsp goji berries, to serve
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú sliced almonds, to serve
Method
To make the chicken korma, heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the mustard seeds and fry until they fizz and pop. Add the onion, and cook for 6 minutes, then add the ginger, garlic, and curry leaves. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Lower the heat and add the creamed coconut, coconut milk and 100ml/3½fl oz water, stir well to mix. Add the green chilli, the salt and sugar. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
Add the diced chicken and cook for a few minutes. Then add the turmeric, chilli and garam masala, stirring well so that it is coated in all the spices. Cook for 15–20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, stir in the crème fraiche.
Just before serving, garnish with the chopped fresh coriander and pomegranate seeds.
To make the festive rice, add the oil to a deep saucepan (one that has a fitted lid), over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry them until they become dark brown and fragrant.
Add the pine nuts, cardamom pods and the cinnamon and fry for approximately 10 seconds, making sure the cumin seeds do not burn.
Add the apricot pieces and the rice. Toss together.
Add the boiling water and the ground turmeric powder. Simmer on a medium-low heat until the rice is almost dry. This will take 15–20 minutes. Then put on the tight lid, switch off the heat and leave for 10 minutes to allow the rice to finish cooking.
Just before serving, sprinkle the rice with the rose petals, goji berries and sliced almonds, and serve alongside the korma.