Chicken Korma w/ Saffron – Zaran Saffron

Ingredients

• 2lb (1 kg) chicken pieces, bone in
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• a generous pinch of zaran saffron
• 1 tablespoon warm milk
• 12-15 whole cashews
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamom, seeds only
• 1/2" cinnamon stick (see notes)
• 1 small twig of mace (can be skipped if not available)
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 large bay leaf
• 3/4 cup fried onions (store bought or homemade(see notes on how to make at home)
• 6 tablespoons ghee
• 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika (adjust to tolerance)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• 2/3 cup plain whole yogurt, whisked
• 1/3- 1/2 cup water (or more depending on desired consistency of sauce)
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar
• 5-6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• Fried nuts, for serving