Chicken Kormaچکن قورمہ

Name: Chicken Korma
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mughlai
Ingredients: 800 g chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into large chunks; 2 large onions, thinly sliced; 150 g full-fat plain yogurt, beaten smooth; 100 ml double cream or coconut cream; 3 tbsp ground raw almonds or almond flour; 3 tbsp clarified butter (ghee) or neutral oil; 6 green cardamom pods; 4 cloves; 1 inch cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; 1½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 1½ tsp coriander powder; ½ tsp cumin powder; ½ tsp garam masala; ¼ tsp turmeric powder; to taste salt

⏱ Prep 15m🍳 Cook 45m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Non-veg

Video: Chef Ajay Kumar (YouTube)

This is the chicken korma that Desi families in Britain made famous — a mild, golden, cream-and-nut sauce that became the top-selling curry across the United Kingdom and the gateway dish for a generation of non-South-Asian diners. It diverges from the Mughal original in key ways: it leans on coconut milk or double cream and often skips the intense spice complexity, producing instead a deeply comforting, velvety dish that anyone at the table will eat. The secret is taking the time to fry the onions to a deep golden brown and to add the yogurt slowly so it does not split.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into large chunks800 g
▪onions, thinly sliced2 large
▪full-fat plain yogurt, beaten smooth150 g
▪double cream or coconut cream100 ml
▪ground raw almonds or almond flour3 tbsp
▪clarified butter (ghee) or neutral oil3 tbsp
Whole spices
▪green cardamom pods6
▪cloves4
▪cinnamon stick1 inch
▪bay leaves2
Ground spices
▪ginger-garlic paste1½ tbsp
▪coriander powder1½ tsp
▪cumin powder½ tsp
▪garam masala½ tsp
▪turmeric powder¼ tsp
▪saltto taste

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Ground almonds are what gives restaurant korma its characteristic creamy texture and a gentle nuttiness. Cashew paste is a very close substitute — soak 40 g raw cashews in water for 30 minutes and blend smooth.
For a dairy-free version popular in vegan South-Asian households in the UK, replace yogurt with unsweetened coconut yogurt and the cream with full-fat coconut milk — the flavour shifts slightly tropical but remains delicious.
Fresh ginger and garlic — grated and minced — work exactly as well as jarred ginger-garlic paste; use 1 inch of ginger and 4 cloves of garlic, ground to a paste with a pinch of salt.

Method

1Heat ghee in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Fry the onions with a pinch of salt, stirring often, until deep golden-brown — 15 to 18 minutes. Do not rush this step; the sweetness and colour of the sauce depend on it. Spread the cooked onions on a plate to cool, then blend with 3 tablespoons of water to a smooth paste.
2In the same pan, add the whole spices — cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves — and fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry 2 minutes.
3Stir in the coriander powder, cumin powder, and turmeric. Add the onion paste and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes until the oil starts to separate.
4Reduce heat to low. Add the beaten yogurt one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly between additions so it incorporates smoothly and does not curdle. Once all the yogurt is in, increase heat and cook 3 minutes.
5Add the chicken pieces. Stir to coat, increase to medium heat, and fry 5–6 minutes until the chicken is sealed and coated in the golden sauce.
6Add 120 ml of water. Cover and cook on low heat for 18–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
7Stir in the ground almonds and cream. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens to a coating consistency. Finish with garam masala, adjust salt, and serve with naan or basmati rice.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.