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Easy Authentic Chicken Korma Recipe
5 from 36 votes

Easy Authentic Chicken Korma Recipe

Easy Authentic Chicken Korma features chicken marinated with yogurt and spices, cooked in a creamy sauce made with fried onions, nut paste, yogurt, and aromatic whole spices. The texture is rich and smooth, with the nuts lending a creamy body, while the balanced spices offer warm fragrance without overpowering heat.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 561 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Main Course, Lunch
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the marination
  • 500 grams chicken bone-in, skinless, 1.1 pounds
  • 1 teaspoon PLAIN yogurt fresh
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • ½ teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
For the gravy
  • ½ cup neutral cooking oil frying the onion + cooking, generic cooking oil
  • 2 onion thinly sliced, medium-sized
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 7-10 green cardamom depending on size
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick approx. 2 inches long
  • 1 nutmeg 1 small pea-sized
  • 1 mace petal blade
  • ½ cup PLAIN yogurt fresh
  • 10 almond soaked in water for 2 hours, raw
  • 8 cashew nuts soaked in water for 2 hours, raw
  • ½ teaspoon kewra water optional
  • 1 ½ cup water hot, filtered
  • almonds optional, soaked and skinned, few

Instructions

Preparation
    Cup of Yum
  1. Crush 3-5 green cardamom pods, 1 mace petal blade, 1 small pea-sized nutmeg into a powder.
  2. Whisk the yogurt until smooth and set aside.
  3. Nut paste: remove the almonds skin and grind the almonds and cashews to make a fine and smooth paste. Add 1-2 tablespoon water if required.
Marinating the chicken
  1. Take 500 grams (1.2 lbs) of chicken in a mixing bowl. Add in 1 teaspoon plain, fresh yogurt, 1 teaspoon garlic paste, ½ teaspoon ginger paste, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, and 1 teaspoon salt (or as required).
  2. Mix everything well and set aside for 30 minutes.
Frying the onions
  1. Heat a pan or pot with ½ cup of oil. Once the oil is hot enough add in thinly sliced onions and saute continuously over medium to high flame until the onion turns golden brown. It will take around 7-10 minutes.
  2. Once done take out the fried onions with a slotted spoon and spread on a paper towel to soak up excess oil and allow to completely cool down.
  3. We are going to use the same pot for cooking. Hence leave out 1 tablespoon of oil in the pot and remove the rest.
  4. Once the onion cools down, coarsely grind them and transfer to a bowl to use later.
Stir frying chicken
  1. Heat the same pot with 1 tablespoon of ghee.
  2. Add in 1 bay leaf, 3-5 green cardamoms, 3 cloves, and 1 cinnamon stick approx. 2 inches long.
  3. Saute for a couple of seconds and add in the marinated chicken.
  4. Saute occasionally over medium to high flame for 5-7 minutes.
Making chicken korma
  1. Simmer the flame and add in beaten curd, coarsely ground onions, and nut paste. Stir everything well to avoid yogurt from splitting.
  2. Cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until oil separates.
  3. Then add in freshly crushed cardamom, mace, and nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon kewra water, a few soaked, skinned almonds if adding, and 1 ½ cup of hot water.
  4. Stir to mix. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked and oil starts separating from the sauce.
  5. Classic chicken korma is ready to serve. Serve hot with naan, paratha, or steamed basmati rice.

Notes

  • Do not overbrown the onions; achieve an even golden color for optimal flavor.
  • If you have nut allergies, replace the nut paste with cream.

Nutrition Information

Calories 561kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 49g (75%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 11g (65%) Monounsaturated Fat 26g (130%) Trans Fat 0.2g (10%) Cholesterol 78mg (26%) Sodium 673mg (28%) Potassium 408mg (9%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 308IU (6%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 110mg (11%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 561

% Daily Value*

Calories 561kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 19g 38%
Fat 49g 75%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 11g 65%
Monounsaturated Fat 26g 130%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 78mg 26%
Sodium 673mg 28%
Potassium 408mg 9%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 308IU 6%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 110mg 11%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.