Decades ago we visited the Lake Palace hotel in Udaipur and it lived up to every expectation… I could imagine myself a maharani looking serenely out over the lake and into the misty, mountainous, distance.

This dish is a rich white dish to match the gleaming whiteness of the hotel where it’s served (this recipe is inspired by one published by the chef Ramesh Dogra) – the chicken is enveloped in cream, milk, yoghurt and nuts.

Serve with Basmati rice, poppadoms, mango chutney, and spinach.

Recipe for Indian creamy chicken with almonds, cashews, coriander and cinnamon

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1400g/3 lbs mini chicken fillets (or use chicken breasts but slice smaller)
• 2 tsps Indian korma paste
• 480ml/2 cups of milk – or more if it seems to need it
• 150g/5 oz butter
• 10-20g/½-1 oz cinnamon sticks – a pack or jar (make sure it’s cinnamon, not cassia)
• 1½ tsp cumin seeds
• 24 green cardamom pods, crushed, husks removed – just use the seeds.
• 3 banana shallots – peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground fresh ginger
• 4 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed with 2 tsp smoked salt
• 100g/¾cup ground almonds
• 3 tbsp yoghurt
• 2 tbsp double cream
• 2 tbsps cornflour
• Small bunch of coriander, chopped
• 150g/5 oz cashew nuts, roughly chopped and dry fried
• 1 tsp smoked salt and some freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Poach the chicken, covered in foil, very gently in the milk for five to ten minutes. If the milk splits, don’t worry – the cornflour will sort that out at the end.
2. Heat the butter in a wok and add the cinnamon, cumin seeds and cardamom seeds – fry until the cumin seeds begin to crackle.
3. Add the shallot, and fry gently another five minutes. Add the ginger and the garlic. Fry another couple of minutes.
4. Add most of the yoghurt, cream, and the poached chicken with all its liquid. Add two tbsps cornflour (dissolved in a little water in an egg cup) and mix in well. Warm through, allowing the mixture to thicken a little. Add the Indian korma paste.
5. Taste, and adjust the seasoning.
6. Serve, garnished with a dollop of the remaining yoghurt and the coriander and cashews.