What is Korma Sauce?
Korma sauce is a mild, creamy curry sauce from Northern India. It has a very distinctive silky, rich flavor which many consumers find quite enjoyable, and variations on korma sauce can be found in many neighboring nations. Northern Indian restaurants around the world typically have a dish with korma sauce on their menu; chicken korma is a common offering, and vegetarian korma may be available as well. Korma can also be easily made at home, for cooks who want to experiment with their own Indian food.
The base of korma sauce is a mixture of yogurt, cream, and pureed nuts, blended with toasted spices. Ingredients can be marinated in the sauce before cooking, or slowly cooked with the sauce so that they become infused with flavor. Both lamb and chicken are common pairings with korma in India, while Indian vegetarians may mix korma with cauliflower, peas, potatoes, and an assortment of other vegetables.
Rice or breads like naan can be served with korma sauce. Both starchy sides will help to absorb the sauce, ensuring that the consumer sops up as much as possible while he or she eats. Breads such as naan can be used to scoop korma directly off the plate, while rice is generally layered under korma. For an extra special korma dish, cooks may make saffron rice, or rice with a crunchy toasted layer on the bottom of the cooking pot which is particularly prized at the dinner table.
To make a basic korma sauce, soak nuts such as almonds and cashews along with several crushed cardamom pods in water for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Blend the soaked nuts with water and coconut milk for a vegan korma, or mix them with yogurt, milk, and white pepper. Set the blended mix aside while you toast ingredients such as minced garlic and ginger, saffron, and dried fruit, if desired, in oil. Slowly add the creamy mixture, stirring carefully, and allow the korma sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
You can marinate ingredients in your finished korma sauce, if you desire. You can also start a fresh pan to sear ingredients like chicken, vegetables, or lamb, and pour the korma sauce over these ingredients for a long simmering which will bring out the flavors in the korma. Korma sauce can also be stored in a jar in the fridge for several days if you want to set up the ingredients for an Indian food party several days in advance.
Written by S.E. Smith
