Chicken and Vegetable Korma

This is a very quick and easy curry that I make for my girls.  From what I understand 'korma' is a name give to any pale or creamy curry.  They can be made with yoghurt, cream, nuts, seed pastes or coconut.  In this curry I've opted to go for a light and dairy free version and have used almond meal to thicken the curry.  You could also add coconut milk or a couple of tablespoons of cream at the end if you particularly want a 'creamy' curry.  My youngest always says she'd prefer it without the chicken and the recipe can very easily be converted to be meat-free.  Simply omit the chicken breast and add a cup of extra vegetables such as green beans or cauliflower.

What you will need:

1 medium onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon grated ginger
4 tomatoes, chopped (or one tin of chopped tomatoes)
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 chicken breast (thighs also work fine and actually have more flavour)
1 large or 2 small zucchini
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup almond meal

What you need to do:

1.  Finely dice the onion and fry in heated oil until it begins to soften.

2.  Add the garlic, ginger and cardamom pods, stir for a couple of minutes.

3.  Add the powdered spices and mix well.

4.  Add the chopped tomatoes and stir.  Allow to simmer on a medium heat until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices.

5.  Halve the zucchinis lengthways and then slice.  Add to the pan.

6.  Cut the chicken breast into 2 cm pieces.  If using a chicken breast be sure not to cut the pieces too small or they will dry out.  If you are not using chicken, just add the extra vegetables at the last step with the zucchini.  Mix the chicken through and stir gently for a few minutes.

7.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Cook for about 5 minutes, partly covered.

8. Add the peas and almond meal.  At this point I usually put my rice on to cook and then take of the lid and allow some of the liquid to begin to absorb so the curry will thicken.

9.  Add salt to taste before serving.  I don't generally use much, if any, salt when cooking for the children but if adults are eating I will add maybe 1/2 tsp of salt which is enough for me, but my husband generally adds more at the table!  Serve with basmati rice and you can garnish with fresh coriander if you have any (which I didn't on this occasion).