Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade
- 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm pieces
- 150 g plain full-fat yogurt, whisked until smooth
- 15 g garlic paste
- 15 g ginger paste
- 5 g fine sea salt
Nut Paste
- 30 g blanched almonds
- 30 g raw cashews
- 50 ml warm water
Base & Aromatics
- 45 g ghee
- 2 brown onions, thinly sliced
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
Spices & Finish
- 10 g ground coriander
- 5 g ground cumin
- 5 g kashmiri chili powder
- 3 g turmeric powder
- 200 ml chicken stock
- 60 ml heavy cream
- 5 g garam masala
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 698 kcal
- Protein
- 53 g
- Carbohydrates
- 27 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 957 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 36 mg
- Potassium
- 978 mg
- Calcium
- 189 mg
- Iron
- 5.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 96 mg
- Phosphorus
- 532 mg
- Zinc
- 6.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 156 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.12 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 10 mcg
- Water
- 49 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the chicken pieces, whisked yogurt, garlic paste, ginger paste, and salt in a mixing bowl. Coat the chicken completely, cover, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Always wash hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.
Place the blanched almonds, raw cashews, and warm water into a blender. Blend on high speed until a completely smooth, creamy paste forms. Scrape down the sides of the blender jug as needed.
Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Once melted and hot, add the green cardamom pods, whole cloves, and cinnamon stick. Sizzle the whole spices for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the thinly sliced onions to the spiced ghee. Cook slowly, stirring frequently, until the onions turn a deep, even golden brown. Do not rush this step as the caramelized onions provide the foundational sweetness and authentic color of the korma.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the marinated chicken along with all the marinade from the bowl. Sear while stirring constantly until the chicken turns opaque on the outside and the yogurt mixture begins to reduce.
Lower the heat back to medium. Stir in the ground coriander, ground cumin, Kashmiri chili powder, and turmeric powder. Cook the spices for 2 minutes until they are toasted and you see the fat beginning to separate and glisten at the edges of the pan.
Pour in the prepared nut paste and the chicken stock. Stir thoroughly to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and reaches a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Remove the pan from the heat completely. Gently stir in the heavy cream and garam masala. Let the korma rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the complex aromatics to meld.
Chef's Notes
- Browning the onions properly is the single most important step in an authentic korma. They dissolve into the sauce, providing sweetness, thickening power, and a rich hue.
- Kashmiri chili powder is chosen specifically for its intense red color and very mild heat. If using standard cayenne pepper, reduce the quantity by at least half to avoid overpowering the delicate aromatics.
- For an even richer and more traditional restaurant-style finish, try soaking your almonds and cashews in warm milk rather than water.
- Do not boil the sauce after adding the heavy cream and garam masala. Boiling diminishes the fresh aroma of the garam masala and risks splitting the dairy.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavors will deepen overnight.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze without the final addition of cream to prevent splitting upon reheating. Add fresh cream when warming.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Troubleshooting
The yogurt sauce looks grainy or split during the sear phase.
Cause: The pan was too hot when the yogurt was added, or low-fat yogurt was used.
Fix: Remove the chicken pieces, add a splash of warm water to the sauce, and whisk vigorously or blend until smooth, then return the chicken.
Prevention: Ensure you are using full-fat yogurt and whisk it well before adding. Maintain steady, moderate heat.
The korma lacks the characteristic deep golden color.
Cause: The onions were not caramelized sufficiently in the early stages.
Fix: Cannot be fixed in the current batch, but flavor will still be pleasant and mild.
Prevention: Patience is key. Cook onions until deeply browned (birista stage) before adding the chicken.
Cultural Context
Korma traces its prestigious culinary origins to the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent, where it was served in royal courts as a rich, mildly spiced dish. The defining characteristic of a traditional korma is its velvety sauce built on yogurt, seed or nut pastes, and slow braising, creating a luxurious texture without relying on tomatoes.
