White Chicken Korma

This is a lovely recipe from Camellia Panjabi's 50 Great Curries of India - I tweaked it to suit my mood and am reproducing the recipe as I made it .
1 Kg Chicken - Cut to desired size .
2+2 Tablespoons Ghee
100 Grams Almonds - Soak in hot water and an hour later remove skin.
200 Grams Onions Chopped.
1 Bay leaf.
4 Green Chilies Chopped Fine.
8 Green Cardamon - Seeds only.
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1 Teaspoon Poppy seeds ( Soak in 100 Ml water , discard water after an hour and make a paste ).
200 Grams Full Fat Yogurt - Hand in a muslin for 1 hour.
4-5 Cloves.
1 Black Cardamon - Bruised.
2" Cinnamon Stick.
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic.
1 Tablespoon Minced Ginger.
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg Powder.
1/2 Teaspoon Mace Powder.
Salt

Heat 2 tablespoons ghee , add almonds , cinnamon and bay leaf and gently cook 3-4 minutes , then add onions and cook covered over low heat 8-10 minutes till onions go limp allowing them to just about change color.Add chopped chilies and cardamon seeds , cook another 2-3 minutes and then add 200 Ml water and cook 10 minutes covered - all cooking so far over low heat.
Take pan off fire , when the gravy cools , discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick ( important ! ) and blend the rest to a fine gravy . Set aside.

Heat the balance 2 tablespoons ghee , tip in cloves ginger and garlic , a minute later add chicken and cook till chicken slowly releases water and changes color from pink to white.Cooke covered 3-5 minutes not allowing the chicken to brown.

Blend the gravy , curd and mace + Nutmeg powder , add to the chicken allowing the chicken to cook covered over medium heat till done. Add hot water to get the desired thick gravy .

This is a delicately flavored chicken - delicious as it is pretty to look at !

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