(NC)The Royal chefs of the good Moghul Emperors made an enormous contribution to the richness of the celebrated Northern Indian cuisine, using cooking techniques which were mainly similar to those of the western world but raising them to new heights with their exquisite blends of spices and herbs.

Kormas were created for festive occasions and are considered by many experts top be the greatest expression of the master chefs skills. A korma is mildly spiced and enriched by cream and ground almonds.

The korma technique may be applied to meats or to vegetables and calls for a thicker braising sauce than that normally used in western cooking. The use of butter and cream in the preparation results in a thick, savoury sauce that clings generously to meats and vegetables.

Chicken Korma, reduced to simple terms, is nothing more than braised chicken but the judicious blending of spices that are used to create the braising sauce makes it one of Indias most popular dishes. There are many great and complicated recipes but this one is simple, quick to prepare and will have your tastebuds dancing:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cubed

1/3 jar of Sharwoods Curry Stir Fry Sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp ground almonds

3 tbsp light cream

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a wok or deep-sided frying pan, add the chicken and stir for 5 minutes until almost cooked. Add the curry sauce, chicken stock, ground almonds and cream. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately with plain boiled Basmati rice, garnished with the cilantro. Delicious with spoonfuls of Sharwoods Major Gray Chutney. Preparation time: 5 minutes; cooking measure : 10 minutes. Serves 3-4.

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