Chicken Korma

Preparation

For marination:
whole chicken skinned and cut into medium sizes, ideally into 6 pieces if using baby chicken
ginger paste 1/2 tb spoon
garlic paste 1/2 tb spoon
coriander powder  1/2 t spoon
cumin powder 1 1/2 t spoon
nutmeg powder (optional) 1/2 t spoon

Greek yogurt : 2 tbs
kashmiri red chilli ( optional): 1 tsp

For frying:
onion chopped 1 medium sized
ginger paste 1/2 tbs
garlic paste 1/2 tbs
onion paste 1 tbs
green cardamom pods 6-8
clove 3-5
cinnamon stick 1 medium
black pepper milled 
ghee or butter

salt
sugar: 1 tb spoon
green chilli - 4-5 ( optional)

To garnish:
coconut cream/ crushed coconut
single cream
saffron: 4-6 threads
rosewater (optional): few drops
crushed almonds (optional): 1 tbs

The cooking

• marinate the chicken with all the ingredients and cover the bowel with a cling film, leave in the fridge 1-3 hours
• fry the onions in ghee /butter until starts to turn brown. Take out the onion with slotted spoon and keep it.
• fry the onion, ginger and garlic paste in the ghee until onion change colour, release aroma  and oil starts to separate.
• add the marinated chicken to the hot ghee and cook in medium heat.
• dry toast the whole spices on a hot frying pan for 1 minute until they release the aroma
• add the whole spices to the chicken as well as black pepper
• stir occasionally and cook covered.
• when water starts to separate from chicken add coconut cream, salt and sugar
• add boiling water if chicken starts to dry up before its cooked
• warm the single cream in microwave and add saffron to it.
• add green chillies approximate 10 minutes before the end of cooking if using.
• bring back the fried onions, add single cream to chicken when almost cooked and stir.
• add optional rose water and almonds and turn down the heat.

Quick tip

Due to its mild flavour Korma can be an ideal introduction to spicy foods. Those who want to make it quick and watch Eastender at the same time, here's the easy solution:

•  put all the spices except onion in a grinder/blender with yogurt, then mix them with the chicken.
• Put onion in hot oil ( to save even more time and protect eyes use easy fried Delia's cheat onion) . Throw in marinated chicken when onions are soft. 
• Add single cream when chicken done and oil starts to separate from chicken add single cream and cook for 2 more minutes and Korma is done!
• if you want it to be mild flavoured avoid green chillies and red chilli powder.