Murgh Korma (Creamy Chicken Curry) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup blanched almond
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon poppy seed
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 green cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 inches ginger, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 serrano peppers, stemmed and minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup water
1 cup plain yogurt
cooked rice, for serving

Preparation

Toss chicken, minced ginger, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl; marinate & chill for 1 hour.
Puree almonds, cashews, poppy seeds, and 1/3 cup water in a blender; set nut paste aside.
Heat 1/2 cup oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add peppercorns, fennel, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, and cinnamon; cook until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add sliced ginger, sliced garlic, and onions; cook until deeply caramelized, about 45 minutes. Puree mixture with 1/3 cup water; set onion paste aside.
Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to pot over high heat. Add onion paste and serrano peppers; cook until oil separates, about 6 minutes. Add turmeric and paprika; cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken; cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Add nut paste and yogurt (temper the yogurt with a bit of the hot sauce before adding so it does not curdle); cook until emulsified, about 3 minutes.
Serve with rice.