A Taste of India- Murgh Malai Khorma (Chicken Cream Curry)

I am just back from India and in love with all Indian foods- an explosion of flavours!  This dish is easy to prepare.  Better still, I can use many of the spices I brought back to Canada!  You can buy them at any well stocked supermarket or Indian food store...

Indian dinner- Murgh Malai Khorma, Vegetable Jalfrezzi,
rice and naan.

Serves four to six.


Ingredients
1 chicken,         cut up into eight pieces (or about 1.5 lbs of boneless chicken)
1 tsp                  fresh ginger, paste
1 tsp                  fresh garlic, paste
2                        green chilies, chopped
3                        tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 cups                yogourt
1/4 tsp                mace, ground
1/4 tsp                nutmeg, ground
1 tsp                   cumin, ground
1 tsp                   coriander seed, ground
1/2 tsp                pepper, ground
1/4 tsp                cardamom. ground
1/4 tsp                cinnamon, ground
10                       almonds, ground
2 tsp                   watermelon and musk melon seeds, ground (omit, if you cannot find them)
150 ml               cream
1/2 cup              grapeseed oil
Salt to taste

Directions

Mise en place

Blend the yogourt, ginger, garlic, chillies and tomatoes and set aside.  Heat the oil in a sauce and add the puree and the watermelon/musk melon seeds.  Stir briskly and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Add the chicken pieces, salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is done.  If required, add water to keep the dish from drying out.

Simmering chicken

When the chicken is tender add the nutmeg, mace, cumin. coriander, pepper, cardamom and cinnamon, as well as the ground almonds.  Reduce the heat.   Add the cream and mix gently.  Serve with rice.