Simple chicken korma recipe – just like mom used to make!

May 12, 2024

This original chicken korma recipe is a unique taste experience. The browned onions, cashews and aromatic spices create a taste that cannot be compared. I hope you enjoy my chicken korma recipe – inspired by my dear mom🧡.

What is chicken korma anyway?

The chicken korma recipe is one of the most popular and most sought-after recipes on social media and the internet. Alongside butter chicken, chicken madras and chicken tikka, it is definitely one of the superstars on the Indian menu. As the name suggests, it is a chicken dish that is cooked in a creamy and wonderful sauce. As is so often the case in Indian cuisine, cashew nuts provide the creamy consistency.

Original Chicken Korma – Mom’s recipe

This original chicken korma recipe is a unique taste experience. The brown fried onions, cashews and aromatic spices create a taste that cannot be compared. The original chicken korma recipe uses bone-in chicken. That’s how I know it from my mom. I also got the recipe from her and I’m very happy to perpetuate it today 😊.

Chicken korma recipe – the ingredients

Oil for frying. Neutral oil such as sunflower oil or ghee
Chicken meat. Halve and skin the chicken thighs. You can also use a whole cut-up chicken, but it is important that it has no skin. The skin can easily be removed with a paper towel.
Onions. Onions form the basis for the sauce, so we need lots of onions. Depending on their size, use 2-4 onions.
Garlic & ginger. The taste of fresh ginger and garlic is more important than the spices themselves. So don’t leave them out:-)
Yoghurt: The yoghurt gives the sauce a rich & creamy texture. When the yoghurt is mixed with the spices and other ingredients, the typical “korma sauce” is created.
Cashew nuts. To make it creamy, puree the cashew nuts with the fried onions to form a paste. You can also use cashew butter.
Spices: Coriander powder, paprika powder, chili powder, turmeric, salt and garam masala.
Other: Garnish the dish with fresh coriander, some freshly ground garam masala and a little lemon.

The step-by-step guide

Place the cashew nuts in a bowl, cover with hot water and leave to infuse for about 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan and fry the onions over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until golden brown.
Meanwhile, peel the garlic and ginger and pound to a paste in a mortar and pestle, place the yogurt in a large bowl and mix with the spices and garlic-ginger paste.
As soon as the onions have a golden brown color, remove them without the fat and mix them with the soaked cashew nuts to form a paste.
In the same pan, add the yogurt mixture and bring to a medium heat. Leave to simmer. The onion and cashew paste Stir and continue to simmer.
Carefully add the meat and simmer over a low-medium heat with the lid closed Leave until the meat is tender (approx. 20-30 minutes). The korma can be served after Add a little water to taste, but then simmer again.
Finally, add the juice of a fresh lemon, fresh coriander and some freshly ground garam masala (optional) and enjoy.

Quick chicken korma – tips & tricks

Fried onions from the supermarket: Instead of frying the onions yourself, pre-prepared fried onions from the supermarket can offer a quick and convenient alternative. They can also add a crunchy texture and extra flavor to the dish.
Cashew butter: If you don’t have a food processor or want to simplify the preparation, cashew butter is an excellent option to achieve the creamy consistency of cashew onion paste. It is practical and saves time.
Side dishes: Basmati rice or naan bread are excellent side dishes for chicken korma and go perfectly with this dish.

Indian chicken korma recipe

After this recipe, you’ll never order chicken korma from an Indian restaurant again! Because in most Indian restaurants, the taste of all dishes is adapted to suit Europeans. Often, the sauces are stretched with a lot of cream, which unfortunately means that many great flavors are lost.

Which side dish to serve with chicken korma?

I served roti (Pakistani flatbread) with this chicken korma recipe. But a warm, fluffy naan bread or white basmati rice would also go really well with it.

Chicken korma recipe video

3 more chicken recipes from me

Do you like my chicken korma recipe? Then I have 3 more chicken recipes for you. I’m sure you’ll like them too:

How do you like my Original Chicken Korma?

Praise, Criticism, Opinions

Just give it a try and see how you like it best. I’d love to read more about your variations, experiences and preferences for my recipe in the comments. Please also let me know how my chicken korma recipe turned out for you. I look forward to your feedback here under the recipe. You can also find me on Instagram. There, too, I would be delighted if you would add your “mustard”, follow me or share or like your favorite recipe.

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Now I hope you have lots of fun cooking!

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Chicken korma recipe

This original chicken korma recipe is a unique taste experience. The brown fried onions, cashews and aromatic spices create a taste that cannot be compared. The brown fried onions in particular add a special touch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 40

Servings: 4

Course: Main course

Cuisine: India, Pakistan

Calories: 336

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

Ingredients:

approx. 150 ml neutral oil for frying enough to cover the bottom of the pot well
4 approx. 800 g Chicken thighs skinned and halved
400 g Yoghurt (room temperature) (3.5% fat)
10 Cashew nuts
7 Garlic cloves
approx. 20 g Ginger piece
1 green freshness Chopped chili optional
4 large Onion cut into long strips
½ Lemon Lemon juice

Spices:

2 TL Coriander powder
1 TL Cumin powder
2 TL Kashmiri Red Chili Powder Alternative: 1/2 tsp chili powder & 1.5 tsp paprika powder
½ TL Chili flakes
1 TL Garam Masala
½ TL Turmeric
1,5 TL Salt (to taste)

Other (for decoration):

Handful fresh coriander chopped
1 TL Garam masala optional

Equipment

Method

Place the cashew nuts in a bowl, cover with hot water and leave to infuse for about 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan and fry the onions over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until golden brown.
Meanwhile, peel the garlic and ginger and pound to a paste in a mortar (alternatively, finely chop or grate), place the yogurt in a large bowl and mix with the spices and garlic-ginger paste.
As soon as the onions have a golden brown color, remove them without the fat and mix them with the soaked cashew nuts in a small food processor to form a paste.
In the same pan, add the yogurt mixture and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Stir in the onion-cashew paste and continue to simmer.
Carefully place the meat inside and simmer over a low-medium heat with the lid closed until the meat is tender (approx. 20-30 minutes). The korma can be diluted with a little water if desired, but then simmer again.
Finally, add the juice of a fresh lemon, fresh coriander and some freshly ground garam masala (optional) and enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 5mgPotassium: 55mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 75IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.4mg

Notes

If you don't have a food processor, you can also use cashew butter.
Basmati rice or naan bread goes well with it

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Hi, I’m Shiba

I’m glad you’re here. My dishes are very much inspired by the cooking skills of my mother, who comes from Pakistan. I also present Palestinian dishes that I learned about from my husband’s family. So you’ll find lots of dishes from 1001 nights here!

I hope you enjoy browsing and cooking.

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