CHICKEN-BELL PEPPER KURMA

Chicken Kurma/Korma with Bell peppers is my entry to Kalyn's "Weekend Herb Blogging", event to cook a dish featuring any herb, plant, vegetable, or flower.This week's host is The Chocolate Lady at "Inmolaraan" . Thank you hosting. My choice of vegetable this week is Green Bell Peppers!


Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum:



Bell Pepper is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Colors include red, yellow, green and orange. Bell peppers contain a recessive gene that eliminates the capsaicin in the fruit meaning that they have none of the "heat" that many other varieties of peppers have. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers".They are nutritious vegetables full of Vitamin6 ,Potassium and Vitamin C. (More info at WIKI)



Chicken-Bell Pepper Kurma:Serves 3-4

Chicken Kurma or Korma as it is called sometimes is a mild sauce with veg or non-veg, which is usually made with mild spices ,ground nuts and/or coconut.I have tried to cut down some calories by skipping coconut,adding just a few Almonds.You can make it spicy or mild by adding just enough chilli pd to your liking.



You Need:
3-4 skinless boneless Chicken Breast,1 large Onion minced,1" fresh Ginger and 2 Garlic minced, 1 large Green Bell Pepper diced, 1 Tbsp butter or canola oil,1 tsp Cumin seeds,1 tbsp Coriander seeds powder,1/2 tsp each cayenne pd and Paprika,1 tsp Garam Masala or 1/2 tsp Allspice pd,1/4 tsp cardamom pd,1/2 tsp Fennel seeds pd,1/2 tsp sugar,1/4 tsp Turmeric pd, 2 tbsp toasted Almonds ground with little milk,1/2 cup Plain Yogurt or fat-free Sour Cream,2 small tomatoes chopped or 1/2 cup Tomato sauce, salt and Cilantro.


How To:

Heat oil or butter,add cumin seeds.When brown,add minced onion and saute until soft and reddish.Put in ginger-garlic minced and stir-fry for 2 mins and chopped Green Peppers,fry.Add in all the dry spices and tomatoes.Saute until you see the oil specks on top.Add diced chicken,stir until they become white.Add 1 cup water or stock.



Cover and cook on medium heat taking care not to burn the bottom,add a little water more if needed.When cooked with thickish gravy,lower the heat,stir in sour cream or yogurt spoon by spoon and mix well.Adjust the salt and spices and simmer again until you get fairly thick gravy.Add almond paste and Cilantro,simmer for 5 mins.



Serve: with plain cooked Basmati or long grain rice or Pita bread along with Raita(salad) and some Potato crisps.

Note:
You could skip Yogurt and add a cup of coconut milk if you like.
You can skip any spices you don't have like Fennel seeds or Cardamom.
Add enough stock or water to make gravy enough for 4 servings but not too thin.
Always tastes better the next day if you have the patience to keep in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!:))