One of the most popular Indian dishes, we rustle up this mild curry for a Friday or Saturday night feast. It’s quick and easy to make, bursting with flavour but with a healthy twist.
I love the Pataks curry pastes, I worked on one of their leaflets years ago and they have a lovely family story. The recipe originally came from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com and we've tweaked it a bit, it's a great way to introduce children and teens to spices and new flavours.
With three men currently and unexpectantly living at home, I love a quick and easy recipe with no faff. At the weekends it's their turn to cook, so everyone knows how to make it.
The naan are a quick flat breads which I add nigella or cumin seeds to and brush with a coriander and garlic butter, the idea came from The Salt Box https://wearethesaltbox.co.uk/
a foodie inspiration check out their website.
I serve it with pilau rice, poppadum’s, mango chutney and a raita (See recipe in Steph's Top Tip's).
You can also make it with prawns see below.... Enjoy my lovelies xx
Serves 4
Chicken Korma
What you need:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
thumb-sized piece ginger, roughly chopped
2-4 tbsp korma paste (I use Pataks)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces 0r 2 x 250g bag frozen jumbo prawns, defrosted and drained
50g ground almonds, plus extra to serve (optional)
400ml chicken or veg stock
150g pot 0% fat Greek yogurt
small bunch coriander, chopped
To serve: basmati rice, poppadum’s, mango chutney, raita
What to do:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook for 3-5 mins until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring for a further 2 mins.
Add the korma paste and cook for a further 2 mins. Stir in the chicken breasts and stir over a low heat for a few mins until coated in the curry paste and cooked slightly. Stir in the ground ground almonds and chicken/veg stock.
Give everything a good mix, then cover and simmer for 10-15 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Greek yogurt and some seasoning, then sprinkle over the coriander. Serve with brown or white basmati rice.
If you are using prawns, make the sauce and simmer for about 5 mins then stir in the prawns and cook for a further 5 mins.
Naan flat breads
Makes 4 mini naan - double the recipe if you would like more.
What you need:
150g natural yoghurt
150g self-raising flour
¼ tsp bicarb
½ tsp salt
1 tsp nigella seeds or cumin seeds or chilli flakes or any other spice mix.
2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp chopped coriander
What to do:
Sift the flour with the bicarb and optional spices into a large bowl. Add the salt followed by the yoghurt and combine into a nice soft dough. If the dough is too sticky add a touch more flour.
Leave the dough to rest for a few minutes before using.
Take the dough out of the bowl and place on a floured work surface. Divide the dough into Roll each piece into a ball and using a rolling pin roll a few millimetres thick.
Heat a large frying pan/griddle pan and dry fry your flatbreads, turning every few minutes.
Mix together the olive oil or melted butter, garlic and chopped coriander and brush over the warm naan.
Steph's Top Tips
Add the Korma paste in tablespoons starting with 2, if you have young children who are trying curry for the first time. You can make it quite mild, add more paste when the chicken is cooked to taste.
You can make the curry in advance, allow to cool completely, chill it in the fridge and then reheat it for supper. Add a splash of water or stock if you need to thin it on reheating.
To cook basmati rice for 4. Rinse 200g basmati rice (I usually do a mugful) in a sieve under cold running water. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a saucepan, add 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional) cook for a minute. Stir in the rice and coat in the oil. Add a pinch of salt and 400ml boiling water. If you use a mug its exactly double water to rice. Bring to the boil and stir once. turn the heat down to the lowest setting, cover and simmer for 12-14 mins until the water has absorbed and the rice is tender. Don't be tempted to stir it, fluff with a fork and serve.
The naan breads can be reheated in the oven, covered in foil or make the dough in advance, cover and chill and then shape and cook them just before serving.
For a quick raita, dice 1/4 cucumber and mix with a pinch of sea salt, 150g natural yogurt and 1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves.