Chicken Korma with Peas

Ingredients

• 900 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 150 ml chicken stock
• Basmati rice or warm naan bread, to serve
• 200 g frozen peas
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves
• 30 g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 6 cardamom pods, lightly bashed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
• 100 g full-fat Greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1.5 tsp ground coriander
• 50 g ground almonds
• toasted flaked almonds, to serve
• Kachumber salad, to serve

Method

1. Blitz the onions, garlic and ginger together in a food processor with a splash of water until you have a smooth paste. This is your flavour base and it makes all the difference.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based casserole over a medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and cloves and fry for 1 minute until the whole spices start to pop and the oil smells heady and fragrant.
3. Add the onion paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 12–15 minutes over a medium-low heat until the raw onion smell has completely gone and the paste has turned a pale golden colour. Don't rush this — it's the foundation of the whole dish.
4. Stir in the ground cumin, coriander and turmeric, then add the ground almonds. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the almonds toast slightly into the paste and everything smells wonderfully nutty.
5. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat in all that spiced almond paste. Cook for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is sealed on the outside.
6. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock, season generously with salt and a good grind of black pepper, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened beautifully.
7. Stir in the Greek yoghurt and frozen peas, then cook uncovered for a further 4 minutes until the peas are bright green and the sauce is glossy and clinging to the chicken.
8. Pick out the whole spices, then scatter over the toasted flaked almonds and fresh coriander. Serve with lemon wedges and steamed basmati rice or warm naan alongside.