491382 Tue Feb 19 20:27:54 -0800 2008 4 31 Home Cooking 0 3415348 We've had "Korma Challow" at our local Afghan restaurant several times and absolutely love it. You choose either lamb or chicken and it's served with this delicious complex tomato sauce. I haven't found many recipes online but tried cooking it last night to no avail. I came close, but no cigar. I threw in an onion, some garlic, a little ginger, and a can of tomatoes into the food processor and blended. Next, the mixture went into a saute pan where I added chicken broth, tomato paste, cumin, coriander powder, garam masala, butter, and a little brown sugar. I let this reduce and added seared pieces of chicken breast towards the end. I'm sure it would have benefited from more butter or "ghee". What am I missing (or doing wrong)? Tue Feb 19 20:27:54 -0800 2008 11940 DezzerSF 1 3424869 My first suggestion is to eliminate the chicken broth, and cook the chicken more with the other ingredients instead of separately. Also use tons of onions and cook them well, by themselves, before adding tomatoes. Don't underestimate the amount of flavor that can come from a well-cooked onion! Have you tried looking in a cookbook? Afghan Food & Cookery by Helen Saberi is interesting and does have a recipe, but it actually doesn't bear much resemblance to yours! Fri Feb 22 12:24:51 -0800 2008 3415348 145606 brittle peanut 2 3425125 Thanks for the tip, I did think (afterwards) cooking the onion first would help bring out the flavor. Fri Feb 22 13:32:48 -0800 2008 3424869 11940 DezzerSF 1 3425497 you might be better off looking for chicken korma recipes - the chelow refers to the rice. The real key, like somebody else mentions, is getting a good flavor base from frying lots of onions and your meat, and keeping the fluid quantity down. Helen Saberi's recipe for Quorma Chalau goes as follows (1) sautee 1 lb of chopped onions in 4 fl oz of oil m-h heat until golden brown and soft. (2) add 2 lb meat (I would use meat on the bone for this or add the chicken later if you have to use boned breast -dont sear ahead unless you are adding the chicken when the sauce is finished - this is what the restaurants will do when preparing small servings, make the sauce and then add the chicken at the end - it wont be so tasty when you do this at home because the sauce will not be chicken flavored) fry meat with onions until browned. (note - sometimes in indian recipes you will fry the onions then remove and fry the meat in the onion flavored oil, re-adding the onions afterward - this avoids overcooking the onions. (3) add 1/4-1/2 pint water, 1-2 tbs of tomato puree (not paste), 2 oz split mung dal (she calls for split peas but I think these would take too long to cook unless VERY fresh), 1 tsp indian garam masala , char masala, (a afghan 4-spice mixture, usually made, Saberi says with cinnamon, cloves, cumin and black cardamon) OR ground coriander, 1/2 tsp black pepper and salt. (4)Bring to a boil and then turn down and simmer til the meat is cooked, the dal soft and the sauce thick and oily. - you can remove excess oil. Id say that if your chicken is getting done and the sauce isnt thick, pull out your chicken so it doesnt overcook and cook down the sauce to the right consistency, then put the chicken back in. I imagine this recipe is pretty variable, but I hope you get the general idea fry the onions fry the meat in the onion flavored oil add fluid and spices cook til meat is tender and sauce is thick. Fri Feb 22 15:20:37 -0800 2008 3415348 11130 jen kalb 2 3426900 Thanks for posting! Sat Feb 23 07:23:09 -0800 2008 3425497 11940 DezzerSF