Chicken Korma

I used to hate ethnic food, probably up until I graduated college.  Then, all of a sudden the flood gates opened and within a matter of weeks I became obsessed - first with sushi, then Thai, now it's Indian food.  I just love how different it is in comparison to the usual grilled chicken-salad-and rice/cous cous/orzo combo that we have weekly, March through October.  John and I live off of Buford Highway, a major source of Atlanta's best authentic ethnic restaurants, and are trying to hit more hole-in-the-walls.  However, this guy has been distracting us recently, so I decided to bring the international vibe into our home this week.

I first cooked a variation of Chicken Korma about a year ago - a recipe I found on Zesty Cook  (found here).  It was SO delicious but pre-blog days, so I only have my memory on that one.  I've been meaning to try it again recently, and after a few weeks of NO structure and/or cooking due to the new pup, I decided it was time to hammer down and start trying some new recipes again.  Enter, once again, The World at Our Table.  I found a recipe for Chicken Korma in the Chiles, Curries, Casseroles, and Stews section and am so glad I made it!  

Speaking of food - my marathon appetite is in full force this week.  I've been a bottomless pit and all I want is carbs!  I ran 18 miles on Saturday and it was probably my toughest run yet.  The first 10 miles were non-eventful, the next 5 I was distracted because I had picked John up at that point, but the last 3 - 4 were painful.  I'd say 85% of that pain was centrally located in.my.knees...and the other 15% was due to the fact that I didn't properly fuel for my run - greasy pizza and 3 glasses of red aren't the best idea the night before an 8 a.m. 3 hour run.   I came home exhausted, dizzy, and limping.  Consequently, I have not run once since Saturday - and am scheduled to do 14 miles this Saturday!  One part of me is really mad about it, but I also feel like my knees really needing this week of rest and I can just jump back on the training schedule this weekend.  After all, I still have a month until D-Day.  

Anyway - back to the Chicken Korma.  The recipe was really simple - it requires a few different ingredients than the average pantry staples, but they're well worth the investment if you plan on making any Asian/Indian food in the future.  So get yourself in the kitchen and enjoy!

Chicken Korma

Recipe Source: Adapted from The World at Our Table

Ingredients:

8 oz plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

salt to taste

4 thin cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1-inch cinnamon stick

sprinkles of ground cloves (recipe calls for 2 whole cloves but I didn't have it)

2 whole black peppercorns

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, diced

Directions:

 Combine first 8 ingredients and use to marinate chicken for 4 hours or overnight (I did for about 7 hours).

Heat oil in a saucepan and add cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns.  Saute for 1 minute.  Add onion slices and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the chicken and yogurt sauce and stir constantly.  When the chicken is almost cooked, add 1/4 cup hot water and simmer over low/medium heat for 10 minutes.  Then, let simmer until you are ready to serve.  Serve over brown rice and/or with naan bread (I really wanted to make this but you know the drill - oven is broken!).

The recipe says it serves 4 - 6...but it served the two of us, and John's leftovers the next day.  I'd definitely double this if you were cooking for more than 2 - 3 people!