Korma sauce

This sauce is pale and creamy. It is used with vegetables, chicken, pork or lamb.

For a 4 person serving of chicken or lamb or 8 person vegetable accompaniment you need:

Green Cardamom pods add a unique flavour

100ml ghee (clarified butter) or canola oil

10cm cinnamon sticks

3bay leaves

10 green cardamom pods, bruised

1 large onion, quartered and finely sliced (optional, but good if you are using meat or chicken)

Optional: approximately 1,5 kg bone-in chicken or lamb

½ onion, finely chopped or grated

50ml finely chopped or grated fresh ginger

6 cloves garlic crushed

1ml salt

10ml chopped fresh green chillies

200ml vegetable stock or if you are adding the sauce to chicken or lamb use the relevant stock

120ml yoghurt

100g ground almonds

To prepare

Use a deep pan frying pan or saucepan.

Heat the ghee or oil and add the bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon. Fry for a few seconds then add the sliced onion and fry for about 3 minutes.

If you are adding meat or chicken add the pieces and fry to lightly brown it.

Add the remaining onion and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients except the almonds.

For meat or poultry

Simmer until the meat is tender and cooked. Remove any large cinnamon sticks. Finally stir in the almonds. Taste the sauce. If necessary add salt and additional chilli if desired.

If no meat is added

simmer for about 8 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks.

Stir in the almonds.

For veggies

If you are using vegetables add them now and simmer (at this stage I transfer the vegetables to a microwaveable bowl, cover with the sauce, cover with wrap and microwave for 3 minutes or longer) until they are tender.