KORMA SAUCE

With the permission of Chef Panna Lal Sharma, India House
Restaurant, Montrose, New York, former "flying chef" for Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi and chef to several Presidents of India.

1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup cashews
1 cup yogurt
1 cup milk (low fat or skim)
6 green cardamoms, crushed by hand
2 tsp. white pepper
salt to taste
1 cup water (only required if sauce is too thick)
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. garlic paste (minced garlic soaked in water)
1 tbsp. ginger paste (minced ginger soaked in water)
1 pinch saffron
dried fruit (prunes, apricots, pineapple, cherries,   etc.--
     optional for Kashmiri dishes)
curry leaves or powder (optional)

Soak almonds, cashews and cardamoms in water for at least 15
minutes.
Put soaked almonds, cashews and cardamoms into blender with
yogurt, milk, pepper and salt (if desired) and blend until
smooth.  If mixture is too thick, add water and blend again.
Put oil in frying pan and cook garlic paste and ginger paste over
medium low heat until light brown.  And a pinch of saffron.  Add
a little curry (leaves are preferable to powder) if desired, then
add the blended mixture and cook for 7 minutes.
To this basic sauce you can add any of the following:  steamed
vegetables, sauteed lamb, sauteed chicken, sauteed pork.  Then
cover and cook until fully heated and blended.

For Kashmiri dishes (particularly chicken), add dried fruit
before adding meat and vegetables.

Recipe courtesy of Seth A. Davis