Chicken Korma

Your ready-to-cook kit contains the ingredients listed below as well as a simple and practical recipe sheet, so that this dish is the best you have ever tasted.

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  Cashew nuts were not originally native to India but were introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century. They brought the cashew tree from its native region in Eastern Brazil to Goa, India, where it was initially used for afforestation and soil binding to prevent erosion. The tree thrived in India's coastal climate and soil, and its commercial importance was recognized later, leading to its widespread cultivation. India is now one of the world's largest producers, processors, and exporters of cashews. Cashews, known as "kaju," are a versatile and integral ingredient in Indian cuisine, valued for their creamy texture and rich flavor. They are used in both sweet and savory dishes, often to add richness, body, and a nutty taste.

  Cashew nuts

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  Saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, has been cultivated in the Kashmir region of India for centuries. Its red-orange threads impart a golden color, floral aroma, and subtle taste to dishes. Saffron is used in royal biryanis, rice pulao, desserts like kheer and kulfi, and the famous Kashmiri kahwa (saffron tea).

  Saffron

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  The lush, green mountains of Southern India are the native home of green cardamom. It is known as the "Queen of Spices." Cardamom has a sweet, floral, and highly aromatic flavor. Green pods are used whole in savory rice dishes like biryani and curries. The seeds are ground and used in desserts like kheer, and to flavor chai tea.

  Cardamom

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  Cloves are native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia but have been a highly prized spice in India for centuries. Cloves have a strong, pungent, and sweet aroma. They are used whole in rice dishes and curries, and are also a key ingredient in many spice blends, including garam masala.

  Cloves

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  The Indian bay leaf comes from a different tree than the European variety. It is native to the Himalayan region and has been a part of Indian cooking for a very long time. It imparts a mild, cinnamon-like aroma to dishes. It is most commonly used whole and added to the oil at the start of cooking to flavor rice, stews, and a variety of curries.

  Bay leaf

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  Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, breakfast cereals, snack foods, bagels, teas, hot chocolate and traditional foods. The aroma and flavour of cinnamon derive from its essential oil and principal component, cinnamaldehyde, as well as numerous other constituents, including eugenol.

  Cinnamon

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  Black pepper is native to the Malabar Coast of Southern India and was a major driver of ancient global trade. Known as the "King of Spices," black pepper adds a sharp, pungent heat to food. It is used both whole and ground in a vast range of Indian dishes, from simple curries to complex marinades.

  Black pepper

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  Nutmeg is a precious spice with a warm, slightly sweet fragrance. In Indian cuisine, it is used sparingly in Mughlai dishes, biryanis, and certain sweet preparations. Freshly grated, it flavors garam masala, kormas, and kheer. Nutmeg is also used in Ayurvedic medicine for its digestive properties.

  Nutmeg

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  Mace is the red covering that surrounds the nutmeg seed. This precious spice, native to the Banda Islands in Indonesia, is used in Mughlai and Kashmiri cuisines for its warm, slightly sweet notes. Mace is an ingredient in garam masala and flavors royal biryanis, kormas, and refined desserts.

  Mace

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  As the name suggests, these chillies are a specific variety cultivated in the Kashmir region of India. Prized for their vibrant red color and mild heat, they are used to add a beautiful red hue to dishes without making them excessively spicy. They are essential for dishes like rogan josh, tandoori chicken, and various curries.

  Kashmiri red chili powder

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  Coriander is one of the oldest spices, with evidence of its cultivation in India for thousands of years. The seeds have a warm, citrusy flavor. They are often toasted and ground into a powder, which is a staple in almost every Indian curry powder. It provides a mellow, background flavor that balances other spices.

  Coriander powder

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  Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and high annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption or dyeing.

  Turmeric

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  While thought to have originated in the Middle East, cumin has been cultivated in India for millennia and is a cornerstone of Indian cooking. Cumin is used both whole and ground. The whole seeds are often fried in hot oil at the beginning of a dish (Tadka) to impart a warm, earthy aroma. Ground cumin is a key ingredient in almost all curry powders and spice blends like garam masala.

  Cumin

The recipe requires the following ingredients that are not included in your kit, we recommend buying these ingredients locally.

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  Ghee, or clarified butter, is an ancient ingredient in Indian cuisine that has been used for millennia. Made by melting butter to remove water and milk proteins, ghee has a high smoke point and a rich, nutty flavor. In Ayurvedic tradition, it is considered beneficial for digestion and health. Ghee is used for cooking, frying, and enriching dishes like dal, rice, and Indian desserts.

  Ghee Optional

  Recommended, but it's up to your preference

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  Chicken is the most consumed meat in India among non-vegetarians. It is prepared in multiple ways: grilled in tandoor (tandoori chicken, chicken tikka), in curry (butter chicken, chicken korma, chicken vindaloo), or fried (chicken pakora, chicken 65). Bone-in chicken is often preferred for curries as it adds more flavor to the sauce.

  Chicken

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  Ginger is native to the rainforests of Maritime Southeast Asia and is one of the first spices to have been exported from Asia. It was introduced to India very early in its history and has been cultivated there for thousands of years, becoming an integral part of both its cuisine and traditional medicine, Ayurveda. Ginger is a foundational ingredient in Indian cooking. It is a key component of the aromatic paste known as ginger-garlic paste, which forms the flavor base for countless curries, dals, and marinades. It provides a pungent, spicy, and warm flavor. Fresh ginger is also grated or julienned and added to stir-fries, and is famously used to make a soothing and spicy chai (tea).

  Ginger

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  Garlic's origins are traced back to Central Asia, where it was first cultivated. It spread from there to the Middle East and then to South Asia, becoming a staple in Indian diets since ancient times. Garlic is another essential aromatic in Indian cooking. It is most often used alongside ginger and onion to create the rich, sautéed base (bhuna) for a wide array of dishes. It provides a savory, sharp, and slightly spicy flavor that is a must-have for meat dishes, vegetable curries, and dals. It is also a key ingredient in many Indian pickles and chutneys.

  Garlic

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  Yogurt (dahi) is a fundamental ingredient in Indian cuisine. It is used in marinades to tenderize meat, as a base for raita (cooling condiment), and to prepare lassi and chaas. Yogurt adds acidity and creaminess to curries and helps temper spices. Making homemade yogurt is a daily tradition in many Indian households.

  Yogurt

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  Salt is an indispensable flavor enhancer in Indian cuisine. Besides regular table salt, India also uses kala namak (black salt), a volcanic salt with a distinctive sulfurous taste, used in chaat masala and refreshing drinks. Himalayan pink salt, mined from Pakistan, is also highly prized for its purity and minerals.

  Salt