Shahi Badami Khorma : A Majestic luscious dish

Khorma\Korma\Qoorma is a divinely rich recipe of Royal Mughalai cuisine. Prepared with a sauce of ground nuts (coconut,almonds,cashews ,sesame seeds and more),the variations of basic recipe are endless. Shahi Badami Khorma is made with either Lamb or chicken ,cooked until fork tender in creamy smooth spicy fragrant "Badami"(Almond)sauce
Traditionally(back in Mughalai period),the process of preparation was lengthy and laborious.The nuts where shelled by hand,toasted then ground on stone mortar and pestle.The meat had to be cooked for long hours(for lamb) until the meat fell off the bones,and bones were separated. Then simmered with sauce ,prepared with nicely brown onions cooked with spices,ground nuts and tangy yogurt,until all flavors are infused in the meat.
But thankfully in modern age we save lot of time with electric grinders ,pressure cookers and ready-to-use shelled roasted nuts and ground Spices.Mostly prepared on special occasions ,its a perfect dish to make for any celebration dinner ,serve with Naan,Layered Paratha ,Flaky Paratha or Biryani.

Ingredients
2 lbs Chicken or Lamb , white fat trimmed cut in medium pieces
1/2 cup roasted Almonds(or 3 tablespoon toasted Almond butter)
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 cup fat-free yogurt
3/4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chilly powder
Few Whole spices like Cardamom,Cloves and cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon Garam Masala (Mixture of Ground cumin,coriander,cinnamon and cloves)
1/4 Mint and cilantro ,finely chopped.
2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
Method
Marinate Meat
Clean the meat ,trim any excess white fat,run through cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Properly wash all the utensils ,knife and cutting board used for handling the meat to prevent cross-contamination.Mix cleaned meat with turmeric and let sit for an hour.
Prepare the sauce
In a medium saucepan heat oil on medium heat and add the thinly sliced onions. Saute until onions are nicely brown and lightly crisp,then grind to a smooth paste. In the same oil add the whole spices ,ginger garlic paste and saute until the paste in lightly brown about 2 minutes,then mix in the onion paste ,rest of the dry spices and the almond paste.
Cook the meat
Mix in the meat when after 2 minutes and stir well to coat all the spicy mixture. Let cook on medium high heat about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. Then stir in the yogurt and cover ,cook until meat is tender,about 30 minutes for chicken and 45 minutes for lamb(15 minutes in a pressure cooker). Finally mix in the finely chopped herbs and simmer for 5 more minutes and turn off the heat,serve warm.
This Shahi recipe is my entry for Meeta's Monthly Mingle:Sensational Sides, hosted this month by Ruth's Kitchen Experiments.

The Beauty of Fall

The vibrant autumn colors are beginning to bloom throughout the Northeast Ohio.The pockets of trees around the area produce spectacular drives.

Those pretty pumpkins in the warm sun of autumn, are from the local fall festival here in Cleveland.Hoping to make some tasty bakes this fall.