The Best Chicken Korma Recipe for Your Family Dinner

Creamy chicken korma represents a delightful culinary journey through aromatic spices and rich flavors.

Originating from the royal kitchens of India, this dish blends subtle warmth with sophisticated taste profiles.

Mild yet complex, korma upgrades ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary dining experience.

Tender meat nestles within a luxurious sauce that whispers of nutty undertones and gentle heat.

Fragrant spices dance together, creating a harmonious blend that tantalizes your senses without overwhelming them.

Each bite promises a sophisticated balance between creaminess and delicate seasoning.

Sophisticated home cooks can easily master this elegant recipe that brings restaurant-quality comfort to your dining table.

Creamy, Fragrant, and Comforting to the Core

• Create a Luxurious Flavor Profile: Chicken Korma delivers a rich, creamy taste with layers of complex spices that dance on your palate, blending nutty almonds and cashews with perfectly balanced yogurt-based sauce.
• Enjoy Minimal Cooking Effort: This recipe requires simple marination and one-pan cooking technique, making it perfect for home cooks who want restaurant-quality results without complicated steps.
• Experience Versatile Comfort Food: Ideal for family dinners, gatherings, or weeknight meals, this dish pairs beautifully with multiple sides like rice, naan, or roti, satisfying different taste preferences and hunger levels.
• Savor Nutritious Protein Packed Meal: Loaded with protein from chicken and healthy fats from nuts, this dish offers a balanced nutritional profile that keeps you full and energized while delivering incredible taste sensations.

What Brings This Chicken Korma to Life

• Chicken: Tender meat that absorbs rich flavors and provides the primary protein for the dish, choose boneless skinless chicken for easy cooking.

• Yogurt, Salt, Spices: Tenderizes chicken and infuses deep, complex flavors, use fresh thick yogurt for best results.

• Onions, Almonds, Cashews: Creates a creamy, nutty base for the sauce, select fresh golden onions and raw unsalted nuts for authentic texture.

• Bay Leaf, Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon: Adds depth and traditional Indian flavor profile, whole spices release more intense aromatics during cooking.

• Garam Masala, Coriander Powder: Provides warm, complex spice blend characteristic of korma, ensure spices are fresh and fragrant.

• Oil, Ghee: Provides rich cooking medium and enhances overall flavor, ghee adds traditional richness.

• Fresh Coriander Leaves: Adds fresh, bright finish to the rich curry, choose bright green leaves with no wilting.

• Hot Water: Helps adjust sauce consistency and prevents burning, use as needed during cooking.

How to Simmer and Spice for Depth

Step 1: Kickstart the Marination

Mix chicken with yogurt, crushed ginger-garlic, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour or overnight for deeper flavor infusion.

Step 2: Create Magical Onion Paste

• Slice onions
• Sauté onions in oil until golden brown
• Add almonds and cashews
• Cool the mixture
• Blend with yogurt until smooth and creamy

Step 3: Begin Cooking Chicken

Heat oil in a pan. Add whole spices for aromatic base. Introduce marinated chicken and cook until ginger-garlic raw smell disappears.

Step 4: Blend Flavors Together

Pour onion paste into chicken. Add hot water. Season with garam masala, coriander powder, and salt. Simmer until chicken becomes tender.

Step 5: Perfect the Consistency

Adjust sauce thickness with hot water. Ensure smooth, velvety texture.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve alongside steamed rice, warm naan, or soft roti.

Tips to Keep the Sauce Rich Yet Light

• Maximize Flavor Depth: Marinate chicken overnight to allow spices to fully penetrate and tenderize the meat.
• Caramelize Onions Perfectly: Sauté onions slowly until deep golden brown for a rich, sweet base that enhances the korma's complexity.
• Blend Smoothly: Use a high-powered blender to create an ultra-smooth, creamy onion and nut paste without any lumps.
• Control Spice Heat: Adjust garam masala and chili levels to match your personal heat preference without overwhelming the dish's delicate flavors.
• Balance Sauce Consistency: Add hot water gradually to achieve the perfect creamy texture, ensuring the sauce coats the chicken beautifully without being too thick or thin.

Best Storage and Warming Techniques for Korma

• Refrigeration: Store leftover chicken korma in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking, keeping it fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Freezing: Transfer cooled korma to freezer-safe containers, ensuring it's completely sealed to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2 months, maintaining optimal flavor and texture.
• Reheating: Gently warm the korma in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add a splash of water or cream to restore moisture and prevent drying out. Ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F for food safety before serving.

What Complements This Creamy Curry Best

• Pair with Aromatic Basmati Rice: Fluffy basmati rice complements the creamy, rich flavors of chicken korma perfectly. Its delicate fragrance and light texture balance the dish's intense spices and smooth sauce.
• Complement with Crisp Raita: A cool cucumber raita cuts through the korma's richness, providing a refreshing contrast. Its yogurt base and subtle mint notes cleanse the palate between bites.
• Match with Chilled Gewürztraminer Wine: This aromatic white wine's slight sweetness and floral hints beautifully enhance the korma's creamy, nutty profile. Its subtle spice undertones create a harmonious flavor connection with the dish's complex spices.
• Serve alongside Buttery Garlic Naan: Soft, warm naan bread with a hint of garlic becomes the ideal vehicle for scooping up the luxurious korma sauce. Its slightly charred edges provide a delightful textural contrast to the tender chicken.

Regional Variants to Explore at Home

• Vegetarian Korma: Replace chicken with paneer, tofu, or mixed vegetables like cauliflower, peas, and carrots. Maintain the same spice blend and cooking technique for a protein-packed vegetarian alternative.
• Coconut Cream Korma: Swap yogurt with coconut milk and add grated coconut to the onion paste. This version brings a tropical richness and slightly sweeter profile to the traditional recipe.
• Spicy Korma Fusion: Increase heat by adding green chilies or red chili powder during marination. Include additional ground spices like cayenne or paprika to create a zestier version of the classic dish.
• Low-Fat Korma: Use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt, reduce oil quantity, and grill the chicken instead of pan-frying. Skip heavy nuts and use minimal cream for a lighter, healthier interpretation.

Chicken Korma Recipe

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4.5 from 34 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Succulent chicken korma brings Indian culinary magic to your dinner table with a creamy, aromatic blend of spices and tender meat. Rich cashew sauce and gentle warmth invite you to savor each luxurious bite of this classic comfort dish.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Protein:

• 1 pound (454 grams) chicken (traditional bone-in pieces, or boneless thighs or breasts)

Spices and Aromatics:

• 1 cup plain or Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 2–3 green chilies

Fat and Nuts:

• 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
• ½ cup almonds or cashews (or ½ cup coconut cream for nut-free option)
• 1 onion (caramelized)

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Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken by blending yogurt, aromatic spices, and salt in a mixing bowl. Allow the marinade to infuse flavors for a minimum of 60 minutes in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.
2. Create a rich base by caramelizing sliced onions in heated ghee until they transform into a golden-brown delicacy. Toast almonds and cashews alongside the onions, then cool the mixture completely before transforming it into a silky, smooth paste using yogurt as a binding agent.
3. Initiate the cooking process by tempering whole spices like bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon in a heated pan with ghee, releasing their intense aromatics. Introduce the marinated chicken and sauté until the raw ginger-garlic essence dissipates.
4. Integrate the luxurious onion paste into the pan, carefully pouring it over the simmering chicken. Enhance the flavor profile by adding hot water and seasoning with salt, garam masala, and ground coriander. Stir thoroughly and allow the mixture to reach a gentle boil.
5. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and let the chicken simmer until it becomes tender and thoroughly cooked. If the sauce appears too dense, gradually incorporate hot water to achieve a velvety, desirable consistency.
6. Elevate the dish’s presentation by scattering fresh coriander leaves across the surface. Serve the aromatic korma piping hot, accompanied by fluffy rice, warm naan, or traditional roti.

Notes

• Marinating chicken overnight intensifies the flavors and ensures tender, juicy meat that melts in your mouth.
• Create a silky-smooth onion paste by thoroughly blending caramelized onions with nuts, which adds richness and depth to the korma.
• Whole spices like bay leaf, cloves, and cardamom are essential for building an authentic, aromatic base that transforms the dish.
• Cooking the chicken on medium-low heat helps retain moisture and prevents burning, resulting in perfectly cooked, succulent pieces.
• Adjust the sauce consistency with hot water to achieve the classic creamy texture that makes korma a beloved comfort food.
• Fresh coriander leaves provide a bright, fresh finish that cuts through the rich, creamy sauce and adds a pop of color.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Sautéing
• Cuisine: Indian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 5 g
• Sodium: 600 mg
• Fat: 20 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 20 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 25 g
• Cholesterol: 70 mg