To Eat At Someone Else's Table: Raisa's Favorite Chicken Korma
My eleventh guest of To Eat at Someone Else’s Table is Raisa Aziz! If you ever had the pleasure of meeting Raisa, I think you'd agree with me that she is one of the kindest, most genuine people in DC. I met Raisa a few years ago when we both began working at Pineapple Collaborative in its very early stages. She now is the head of brand marketing at Great Jones. Raisa shared with us a dish that reminds her of family celebration at home: Chicken Korma. She adapts Madhur Jaffrey's recipe for creamy chicken Korma with almonds, and I can confidently say it was one of the best smelling and delicious dishes I've ever made. Learn more about Raisa and her connection to food in her interview below!
Interview with Raisa
Tell us about yourself!
“Hi, I’m Raisa! I grew up in a large, loud Indian family in Durban, South Africa. Food is how my family connects and shows love, and that’s stayed with me wherever I go. I studied economics and worked in international development for a long time. Food —cooking, baking, food photography, and marketing— was a creative outlet for me on the side. I eventually made the full-time switch into digital marketing in the food space, and now work for a cookware company called Great Jones.”
Tell us about this dish. What is it & where do its origins lay?
“This is Madhur Jaffrey’s recipe for chicken korma. I love the depth and creaminess of this dish. Korma (often chicken, mutton, or vegetable-based) is an Indian dish with regional varieties. I grew up eating korma that has a milder, cream-based gravy. I adapt the recipe slightly by first marinating the chicken pieces in a mixture of yogurt, garam masala, and salt. I also use ghee in place of the oil and pile on fresh cilantro at the end. I’ve never tried it, but you can also use ground cashews to achieve the creaminess of the sauce. I like it served with basmati rice steamed with whole clove and a cardamom pod in the pot.”
Do you have a special memory associated with this dish? Why is this dish special to you?
“This wasn’t something that we ate at home but we would order it when we’d eat out. I associated it with special occasions growing up, but now I make it often. It’s surprisingly easy and feels like complete comfort to me.”
What inspires you to cook and/or bake?
“Cooking and baking — the tasks of chopping vegetables, rolling dough, frosting a cake — are a meditation for me. Working with my hands calms my mind and allows me to focus. Baking, in particular, is also a creative outlet. I’m often inspired by other home cooks and bakers. I have so much respect for chefs but other home cooks are the ultimate inspiration because I am working with the same type of equipment and kitchen space that they usually are.”
What’s your favorite spice to cook with and why?
“Cardamom is probably my favorite spice to bake with — for such a powerhouse flavor, it plays really well in combination with other ingredients. For example, chocolate, or rose, or lemon.”
Do you have anyone you look up to in the culinary world and why?
“So many people! I couldn’t possibly list them all so here are a few. Obsessed with everything Chef Paola Velez makes (she is a pastry chef and co-founder of Bakers Against Racism). Hawa Hassan is a Somali author and I love how she weaves cultural storytelling with recipes that bring visibility to African cuisines. The food entrepreneurship space is filled with people I look up to — I particularly admire what Sana Javeri Kadri is building with her team at Diaspora Co. Alicia Kennedy (a food writer) and the folks behind Misfit Foods have made me think about the connection between food and climate change. Yasmin Fahr, Julia Turshen, and Nisha Vora (@rainbowplantlife)’s recipes never fail me and they’re all recipe developers that emphasize flavor and ease. I love watching old Nigella Lawson, Julia Child, and Anthony Bourdain shows while cooking.”
Why are you passionate about cooking?
“So many reasons! It’s something we all have to figure out at some point — how empowering to be self-reliant in this aspect of your life. It’s also a connecting force between people, cultures, and even across generations. That’s pretty powerful and allows you to learn so much about history and culture through its lens. It’s ripe for creative interpretation, which means that the potential for experimentation feels exciting and ever-expanding. Food and nourishment are also basic human needs — for me, it’s hard to talk about food/cooking without also recognizing that so many people do not have enough to eat. When you recognize that, you have to ask why that’s the case, which means opening a door to conversations about (and solutions for) so many other socio-economic and environmental issues that we as a society still need to address.”