This homemade Creamy Chicken Korma Recipe is infused with aromatic Indian spices and created with everyday ingredients. It is extremely easy to prepare, and makes for a delightful curry night when served with Bullet Naan, Crispy Onion Bhaji (Pakora), and Dal Palak (Spinach Dal).
Ready in just 30 minutes, this mildly spiced and fragrant Indian curry is perfect for busy weeknight family dinners!
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Chicken Korma is a flavorful and aromatic South Asian dish made with tender chicken pieces braised in a rich, creamy, and mildly spiced curry. The dish typically includes ingredients like yogurt, cream, ground nuts (such as almonds or cashews), and a blend of various spices.
It has a smooth and velvety texture, along with subtle and balanced flavors—a delightful curry that both adults and kids would love.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Chicken - You can choose either boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast for this recipe. Alternatively, bone-in cuts, such as thighs, drumsticks, or wings, also work well. Adjust the cooking time according to the type of meat you select.
- Onions - You have the option to use roughly chopped brown, yellow, or white onions. Shallots would also work well.
- Green chili - It is optional, you can use green peppers if you want your curry extra mild.
- Yogurt - Ensure you use plain, unsweetened natural or Greek yogurt for this curry recipe. Yogurt contributes to a creamy texture in the curry sauce. Use cashew yogurt for dairy free version.
- Cashew nuts - They thicken the sauce and provide that classic korma texture. Almonds can also be used.
- Cream - It gives a velvety finish to korma dish. You can replace it with coconut milk for dairy free option or use low fat version for a lighter curry.
- Garlic and ginger paste - This is a fantastic ingredient for Asian recipes, adding an incredible spicy flavor and amazing color to korma. Alternatively, you can use grated garlic and ginger.
- Spices - I use ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala for this curry dish. You can add your favorite curry spices to create your own recipe.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Korma?
Prepare the Sauce
Cut chicken thighs into chunky pieces, and set them aside in a plate.
In a saucepan, place the roughly chopped onions, green chili, and cashew nuts.
Add a few drops of water and cook for 10 minutes until the onions have softened.
Add the yogurt, place them in a food processor bowl, and blitz until you get a smooth sauce consistency.
Transfer it to a bowl and set it aside.
You can prepare the korma sauce up to 3 days in advance to save a significant amount of time when preparing the curry.
Cook Chicken Korma
Heat ghee in a pan and add garlic-ginger paste. Sauté until fragrant.
Add diced chicken and cook until it turns golden brown.
Sprinkle ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, and turmeric powder over the chicken. Mix well.
Pour the prepared sauce into the pan. Stir and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.
Add double cream (or heavy cream) and salt to the chicken mixture. Stir until the sauce thickens.
Garnish with cashew nuts or flaked almonds, and coriander leaves before serving.
Top Tips From the Chef
- You can prepare the korma sauce up to 3 days in advance to save a significant amount of time when preparing the curry.
- This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs for maximum flavor. If you prefer to use any other part of the chicken, you'll need to adjust the cooking time.
- Although traditionally, chicken korma is a mild dish, I add a green chili to introduce some heat. You can skip the chili and use green pepper to maintain the recipe's authenticity.
- Yogurt provides a wonderful tang and is rich in protein; however, you can substitute it with cashew yogurt for a dairy-free version.
Serving Suggestions
When serving Chicken Korma, you have many side dish options to chose from:
Yellow Rice (Indian Turmeric Pilau Rice)
Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad)
Storage and Reheating
Allow the Chicken Korma to cool to room temperature before storing. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate within two hours of cooking. You can store Chicken Korma in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
To reheat, place the desired portion of Chicken Korma in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during refrigeration.
If using a microwave, transfer the Chicken Korma to a microwave-safe dish. Heat in short intervals, stirring between each interval, until the desired temperature is reached.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken Korma is a flavorful and mildly spiced Indian dish made with chicken, yogurt, and a blend of aromatic spices. It is known for its creamy texture and rich taste.
Traditionally, Chicken Korma is a mild dish. However, you can adjust the spice level to your liking by adding or reducing the amount of chili or using mild or hot curry powder.
If you over-thicken the sauce, or it thickens during storage, you can adjust the consistency by adding a bit of water or broth during reheating.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Indian main dish recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this creamy and mildly spiced South Asian Chicken Korma Recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Creamy Chicken Korma Recipe
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 measuring spoons
- 1 Sharp knife
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 green chili (roughly chopped)
- ⅓ cup cashew nuts (about 2 oz/50 grams)
- ⅓ cup plain natural yogurt (about 3 oz/80 grams)
For the Chicken Korma
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 2 teaspoon garlic ginger paste
- 2 lbs diced boneless skinless chicken thigh (900 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoon double cream or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- cashew nuts or flaked almonds, and coriander leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
Preparing the Sauce
- Cut chicken thighs into chunky pieces, and set them aside in a plate.
- In a saucepan, place the roughly chopped onions, green chili, and cashew nuts. Add a few drops of water and cook for 10 minutes until the onions have softened.
- Add the yogurt, place them in a food processor bowl, and blitz until you get a smooth sauce consistency.
- Transfer it to a bowl and set it aside. You can prepare the korma sauce up to 3 days in advance to save a significant amount of time when preparing the curry.
Cooking the Chicken Korma
- Heat ghee in a pan and add garlic-ginger paste. Sauté until fragrant.
- Add diced chicken and cook until it turns golden brown.
- Sprinkle ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, and turmeric powder over the chicken. Mix well.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan. Stir and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Add double cream (or heavy cream) and salt to the chicken mixture. Stir until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish with cashew nuts or flaked almonds, and coriander leaves before serving.
Notes
- You can prepare the korma sauce up to 3 days in advance to save a significant amount of time when preparing the curry.
- This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs for maximum flavor. If you prefer to use any other part of the chicken, you'll need to adjust the cooking time.
- Although traditionally, chicken korma is a mild dish, I add a green chili to introduce some heat. You can skip the chili and use green pepper to maintain the recipe's authenticity.
- Yogurt provides a wonderful tang and is rich in protein; however, you can substitute it with cashew yogurt for a dairy-free version.
- You can store Chicken Korma in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Tatiana says
The chicken korma came out rich and flavorful. The sauce was creamy with just the right spices. Served it with rice and it was perfect.