Chicken korma recipe with video and step by step photos – Korma is a delicious gravy usually made with onions, spices, nuts, yogurt, seeds, coconut, vegetables or meat. It originated in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal Era & later became immensely popular across the world.
There are so many ways a korma is made, most of them are adapted to the regional cuisines. So ingredients like coconut, poppy seeds, almonds, cashews & yogurt are most commonly used based on the region.
My recipe is pretty straight forward and uses only pantry staples. It will help you make a very tasty, flavorful, creamy and delicious chicken korma.
It is best served with butter naan, roti, paratha or with steamed basmati rice & Jeera rice.
Onions, nuts and yogurt form the base for this chicken korma. To begin with, first onions are sauteed in oil until golden and then they are pureed with the nuts and yogurt. Nuts help the gravy to thicken and impart a creamy texture.
Later it is spiced and cooked with marinated & sauteed chicken.
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Preparation for chicken korma
1. To a mixing bowl, add
- ½ kg chicken (1.2 lbs)
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (or coconut milk)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic (We usually rub the chicken with turmeric and then rinse off before cooking. Hence the yellow color here.)
2. Next add
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (or paprika)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon salt
3. Mix all of them and set aside until needed. You can also refrigerate this overnight.
4. While the chicken marinates, go ahead with the recipe. Heat 1½ tablespoon oil or ghee in a pan. Add 2 to 3 cardamoms. I used a bit more here as we like the flavor.
Preparation for chicken korma
5. Add 1 cup sliced onions (2 medium onions). Saute them stirring often until golden brown & caramelized.
6. This is how the onions look – golden brown & caramelized. Turn off the stove. Add 4 almonds and 6 cashews. Cool this completely.
7. Add the onions and nuts to a grinder or blender jar. Pour ¼ cup yogurt or coconut milk.
8. Blend to a smooth puree. If you do not have a powerful blender, then you may pour half cup water and blend. (remember to skip adding water later for the gravy)
How to make chicken korma
9. Pour 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan and spread the oil. Then add the following whole spices: (skip if you don’t have)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves
- 1 cardamom
- 2 inch cinnamon. I used Ceylon cinnamon so used more. If you are using cassia, just use a 2 inch thin strip. Saute the spices for a min.
10. Add marinated chicken and slit green chilli (optional).
11. Saute on a medium heat until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away. This takes about 5 to 7 mins.
12. Add the onion paste. Pour ½ cup water.
13. Add ¼ teaspoon salt.
14. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala and 1½ teaspoon coriander powder. You can also add little chili powder if you prefer red color korma.
15. Mix well. Cover and cook on a medium heat until the chicken turns tender and is soft cooked.
16. Taste test and add more salt if needed. Once done, if the korma is too thick, add some hot water to bring it to consistency. Sprinkle some coriander leaves.
Serve chicken korma with rice, jeera rice, roti, naan or paratha.
Tips to make chicken korma
- Bone-in chicken tastes best in this recipe as the juices from the bones seep to the korma and make the gravy delicious.
- Marinating the chicken is optional. It is just done to tenderize the meat. If you prefer to skip the step, add all of the marinade ingredients together to the pan along with chicken.
- A korma curry gets its creamy texture from yogurt and nut paste. Traditional korma recipe does not use any kind of starch to thicken the curry.
- The aroma comes from the fried onion paste, take care to fry the onions evenly.
- If you have a nut allergy just skip the nuts in the recipe and add more yogurt.
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Chicken korma recipe | How to make chicken korma
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
marinade
- ½ kg chicken (bone-in) (1 to 1.2 lb)
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (ground or crushed in equal quantities)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala or korma masala
- 1 to 1¼ tsp red chili powder (less spicy variety, minimum ½ tsp)
- ½ teaspoon salt
To saute & blend
- 1½ tablespoon oil or ghee
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 cup onions sliced (2 medium)
- 6 cashews
- 4 almonds (or substitute with cashews)
- ¼ cup plain yogurt or coconut milk
For chicken korma gravy
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small bay leaf (optional)
- 4 cloves (optional)
- 2 inch cinnamon (optional)
- 1 cardamom (optional)
- 1 to 2 green chilies slit or chopped (optional)
- ½ cup water (more if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- 1½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (optional, for color)
- 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped
Instructions
Marination for chicken korma recipe
- To a mixing bowl, add chicken, 3 tablespoons yogurt, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp red chili powder and 1 tsp garam masala.
- Mix all of them well. Cover and set aside until needed.
Make onion paste
- Heat a pan with 1½ tbsps oil and add 2 cardamoms.
- Add sliced onions and fry them evenly until golden brown. Next add cashews and almonds. Cool these completely.
- Later add the cooled onions and nuts to a blender jar along with yogurt. Blend these to a smooth puree. Set this aside.
How to make chicken korma
- To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat it.
- Optional – Saute whole spices – bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom in oil for a min.
- Add green chilli and marinated chicken. Saute on a medium heat until the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes away. This takes about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Then add the onion nut puree. Pour ½ cup water and mix well.
- Add salt, coriander powder and garam masala. If needed you can also add more chili powder for color.
- Mix well. Cover and cook on a low flame until chicken is cooked to tender.
- Cook further till the gravy reaches a desired consistency. If it is too thick then pour some hot water to bring it to consistency.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve chicken korma with jeera rice, plain basmati rice, butter naan, roti or paratha.
Notes
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Carla says
Very yummy! How thick should the gravy get? It was a little thin and didn’t coat the chicken.
My husband said it tasted like some more, lol.
Thanks for a great recipe!
swasthi says
Hi Carla,
Thank you! The gravy should coat the chicken. You can cook further to thicken it. Usually it thickens upon cooling. Hope this helps
Warren says
Tastes great. Nice dish. I have marinaded the chicken for the 30 mins. Is there a maximum length of time you would suggest to marinade?
swasthi says
Hi Warren
Thank you! You can keep the marinated chicken for upto 24 hours in fridge.
Aisha says
Hello,
Should I double all the ingredients if I am making 2 pound chicken?
swasthi says
Hi Aisha,
Yes you can double the recipe
Simal Kaur says
Hi please tell me the quantity of onions for 1full chotta chicken ???
Please reply
swasthi says
Hi Simal,
I guess a small chicken can be anywhere in between half to 3/4 kg. You can use about 1 1/2 cup onions.
Simal Kaur says
Ok thanks alot
Noella says
The recipe calls for 2 green cardamoms in the paste and 1 more for the gravy. Yet when sautéing cardamom for the paste the recipe says to put 4 cardamoms in the pan. Which is the correct number to use for the paste.
Are the cardamoms then added to the blender along with the onions, nuts and yogurt?
swasthi says
Hi Noella,
Please use only 2. Yes they go to the blender with onions, nuts & yogurt.
Roger Thomas says
Great, easy to follow and super resilt. Thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Roger
Jenny says
Absolutely delish and so easy. We had ours with roti and it was perfectly filling. We don’t eat much meat in our home so decided to substitute the chicken with a sliced up Quorn roast. It was moist and just as flavorful. Thank you!
swasthi says
Hi Jenny,
You are welcome. Glad it turned out delicious. I had never come across Quorn roast until I read your comment. Thank you!
🙂
Dawn says
This looks amazing, but I’m trying to remain dairy free. Do you think I could use coconut milk instead of yogurt?
swasthi says
Hi Dawn,
Thank you. Yes you can use coconut milk instead of yogurt. Just skip the yogurt in the marinade. Add some coconut milk to blend the onions. Hope you enjoy the chicken korma.
Dawn says
Thank you!
Shrubali says
Thanks for this brilliant and simple recipe…
swasthi says
Welcome Shrubali
Marlene Granger says
This Chicken Korma was the best.
Tasty and so yummy
Thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Marlene,
Glad to know your korma turned out the best.
Thank you so much!
Nagina says
Tried your korma recipe and it turned out super yum.me and my husband both loved it.The only change i did was that i added tomato puree also and used chicken broth too.thanks
swasthi says
Thank you Nagina
Allison says
Thank you for the korma recipe. We’ll try it soon. Did you make your own ginger garlic paste by grating them together?
swasthi says
Hi Allison,
You are welcome. I make my own ginger garlic paste by following this ginger garlic paste recipe. For smaller quantities you can just grate them together and crush until smooth.
Neha says
Amazing recipe! I love your recipes! Been following them for a lot of dishes! Thank you and God bless you. I would like to subscribe to your page. Please let me know how that is possible. Thanks.
Neha
swasthi says
Welcome Neha,
Thanks a lot for the wishes. I registered your email id for the subscription. Please confirm the subscription when you receive the mail.The subscription box is in the side bar in home page.
🙂
Shefali says
Tried ur recipe for korma and it turned out awesome.. I have added cream and kasoori methi in the end for that added flavour..
swasthi says
Hi Shefali,
Thank you so much. Glad to know it turned out good. Yes kasuri methi will enhance the flavor.
🙂
Marta says
I cooked your Chicken Korma yesterday for dinner and it turned out great. I followed the instructions 100%, and I think this dish is amazing as it is!
I think I will be trying the Butter Chicken next 😉 Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
swasthi says
Hi Marta
You are welcome. Thanks a lot for trying. Glad it turned out good. Yes do try the butter chicken.
🙂
Preeti says
Tried the chicken kadai…..it was awesome…every1 loved the dish!!
swasthi says
Thank you so much Preeti
Sana says
My husband and I loved your recipe! The only thing I changed was that I added tomatoes with onion and cashew. It was awesome.
swasthi says
Hi Sana
Thanks for trying the recipe. Glad to know chicken korma turned out good.
🙂
James says
I tried this chicken korma and wow!. I haven’t had such a great korma in the recent times. Turned out fantastic.
swasthi says
Thanks for trying James
Sahil says
Your recipes are always awesome and easy. Very helpful to hosteliers like me.
swasthi says
Thank you so much
Khateeja Munazza says
Everyone loved the gravy… Thank you for the great recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Khateeja Munazza,
Thanks for trying. Glad to know the korma turned out good.
🙂
vadivel loganathan says
Hey could you please let me know how to subscriber your website…
The dish was awesome everyone has to try it…
swasthi says
That was a super quick try. Thanks for trying it. I have added your email id to the subscribers list. You will receive a mail shortly, do confirm the subscription.