Chicken korma in mild nutty sauce Recipe
This mild chicken korma has a warm ivory sauce thickened with almonds, cashews, yogurt, and cream. The method is calibrated for 700 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 4 cm pieces, which stay juicy during the gentle simmer. Use two medium onions weighing about 300 g in total and begin with 1 teaspoon fine salt, adjusting the final seasoning to taste.
Korma belongs to a broad family of slow-cooked dishes associated with Mughal-influenced cooking in northern India. Preparations vary widely: some rely mainly on yogurt and onions, while others include ground nuts or cream. This is a mild, contemporary home-style interpretation rather than a claim that every traditional korma uses the same rich nut-and-dairy combination.
Almonds and cashews give this korma a substantial, velvety sauce before the cream is added, while yogurt contributes a gentle tang that keeps the flavor from becoming one-dimensional. Cardamom, cinnamon, bay, coriander, and cumin provide fragrance rather than sharp heat, with only a small amount of chili in the background.
Why this version works
- Specifying boneless thigh pieces at 4 cm makes the 15–18 minute covered cooking time dependable.
- All 150 ml of measured water is accounted for: 60 ml blends the nuts and 90 ml loosens the simmering sauce.
- Keeping the onions pale golden preserves the korma’s gentle color and prevents bitter, deeply caramelized notes.
- Frying the nut paste removes its raw taste and helps it disperse evenly instead of leaving a grainy layer in the sauce.
- Tempering the finishing yogurt and cream with hot sauce reduces the temperature shock that can make dairy curdle.
Chef's tips
A narrow blender cup produces a smoother nut paste than a large jug because the blades keep contact with the small quantity. The finished sauce should coat a spoon yet still flow slowly back into the pot. Letting the korma stand for 5 minutes allows the nut-thickened sauce to settle around the chicken.
How to serve
Serve the korma hot with steamed basmati rice or plain Indian flatbread, which can absorb the creamy sauce. A modest ladleful is usually sufficient because the nut, yogurt, and cream base is intentionally rich.
Watch out for
- Nut paste catches easily. Once it enters the pot, keep the heat at medium-low and scrape the base continuously.
- Do not let the onions turn dark brown; that will make both the color and flavor much heavier.
- After adding the yogurt and cream, heat only until steaming. A rolling boil can split the sauce.
- Salt crystal sizes vary. The suggested 1 teaspoon refers to fine salt, so season more cautiously if using a dense or unfamiliar type.
- Bay leaves, cardamom pods, and the cinnamon stick remain firm after cooking; remove them before serving when practical.
Substitutions
- Boneless chicken breast may be used at the same weight and cut to the same 4 cm size, but reduce the covered simmer to about 8–10 minutes and stop once the center reaches 74°C.
- For bone-in chicken, use small jointed pieces and extend the covered simmer to approximately 25–30 minutes, checking that the thickest part reaches at least 74°C and stirring occasionally so the sauce does not catch.
- Lower-fat plain yogurt can stand in for full-fat yogurt, but it is more prone to splitting; bring it closer to room temperature and temper it especially gradually before adding it to the pot.
Ingredients
- chicken boneless thighs, cut into larger cubes - 700 g
- plain yogurt thick, Greek-style - 200 g
- almonds blanched, can be flaked - 40 g
- cashew nuts unsalted - 40 g
- onion medium, thinly sliced into half-moons - 2 piece
- garlic finely chopped or grated - 3 cloves
- ginger peeled, grated - 2 cm
- vegetable oil or clarified butter - 3 tablespoons
- 30% cream for extra creaminess - 80 ml
- bay leaf - 2 piece
- cardamom pods, lightly crushed - 4 pods
- cinnamon stick, about 4–5 cm - 1 stick
- ground coriander - 1.5 teaspoons
- ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
- ground turmeric - 0.5 teaspoons
- ground chili or more to taste - 0.25 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- water add a little more if needed - 150 ml
- fresh coriander chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Cover the almonds and cashews with freshly boiled water and leave them for 10 minutes. Drain well, then blend with 60 ml of the measured water for 1–2 minutes, scraping down the blender as needed, until the paste is thick and as smooth as possible. Reserve the remaining 90 ml water.
- Trim the chicken thighs and cut them into roughly 4 cm pieces. Combine them with 100 g yogurt, 0.5 teaspoon ground coriander, 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin, 0.5 teaspoon fine salt, and half of the finely grated ginger and garlic. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the onions; 30 minutes gives the seasoning more time to penetrate.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wide, heavy-based pot over medium heat. Lightly crush the cardamom pods, then add them with the bay leaves and cinnamon. Cook for 30–40 seconds, just until the cardamom smells floral and the cinnamon is fragrant; the spices should sizzle without blackening.
- Finely chop the two medium onions, about 300 g in total, and add them to the pot. Cook over medium to medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring every minute or two. They should become soft and pale golden, with slightly deeper color around a few edges, rather than dark brown.
- Stir in the remaining ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin, the turmeric, and the ground chili. Stir continuously for 30 seconds, until the spices are evenly dispersed in the oil and no dry powder remains.
- Lower the heat slightly and add the nut paste. Fry it for 2–3 minutes, stirring and scraping the base constantly. It is ready when it loses its raw, watery appearance, becomes glossier, and briefly leaves a clear trail across the bottom of the pot when stirred.
- Add the chicken with all its marinade. Raise the heat to medium and cook for 4–5 minutes, turning the pieces until their surfaces are opaque. Pour in the reserved 90 ml water and scrape up the thick sauce from the base. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 15–18 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The chicken is ready when the center of the thickest piece reaches at least 74°C and cuts cleanly without looking pink or translucent.
- Whisk the remaining 100 g yogurt with the cream. Take the pot off the heat for 1 minute, then whisk 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce into the dairy mixture before gradually stirring it back into the pot. Return to very low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce is steaming and smooth but not bubbling vigorously. Add the remaining 0.5 teaspoon salt, taste, and adjust if necessary. Fold in the chopped fresh coriander and rest the korma for 5 minutes before serving.
Storage
Store in an airtight container; before reheating, add 2–3 tablespoons of water, as the sauce thickens in the fridge. After defrosting, reheat slowly over low heat, stirring often so the sauce does not split.
I would not aim for a perfectly white or completely uniform sauce here. A warm ivory color with tiny golden onion flecks shows that the onions softened enough to add sweetness without being taken into the darker flavor territory of a browned curry.
