Chicken korma consists of large pieces of chicken. The rich base of the dish comprises a thick paste of almonds, cashew nuts, and poppy seeds. A lot of aromatic Indian spices are also added along with curd to make a rich and thick gravy. Take a cue from my easy and detailed recipe to make chicken korma at home and surprise everyone in your family.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Chicken korma is one of the most popular and widely consumed dishes in India.
- Serve it hot with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, chapati, tandoori roti, naan, or pulao.
- Chicken korma tastes slightly spicy, creamy, savory, and nutty.
- Other similar recipes are mutton korma, fish korma, egg korma, butter chicken, malai chicken, and vegetable korma.
The Ingredients:
- 1 kg chicken (large pieces)
- 15 pieces almonds
- 15 pieces cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- Hot water – as required
- ½ cup clarified butter (ghee)
- ½ cup cooking oil
- 8 pieces green cardamom (split)
- 8 pieces cloves
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- 3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander seeds powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (roasted, crushed)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 cup yogurt (Dahi)
- 4 pieces onions (medium-sized, sliced finely, fried separately)
- 4 tbsp cooking oil (to fry the onion)
- ¾ cup water
- 2 pieces cinnamon sticks (inch size)
- 4 pieces green cardamom
- 2 pieces black cardamom
- 1 piece mace
- ¼ piece nutmeg
- 1 tsp kewra water
This recipe was a suggestion from the pharmacist near our home. I went to buy vitamin syrup for my son, and she told me about this dish that helped her son during weak appetite days. I asked for the method and gave it a try.
My husband appreciated the thought behind it, and the boys liked how light it felt. Now, it is one of our chosen dishes when anyone feels unwell or depressed! The meeting with the pharmacist that day reminded me that curing is a holistic feeling and experience. Often a nourishing meal and a little advice from an OTC medicine vendor help a lot in it and go hand in hand.
How to Make Chicken Korma? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: In a bowl take 15 pieces of almonds, 15 pieces of cashew nuts, and 1 tbsp of poppy seeds. Add hot water to it as required and keep it aside to soak for about 15 minutes or so. After 15 minutes, put it in a mixer and make a thick paste as shown in the images below. Keep it aside.
Step 2: Now, heat 4 tbsp of cooking oil in a handi on a medium flame. When it is hot, add 4 pieces of medium-sized onions, sliced finely, to it. Fry them nicely until they turn to a golden color. When done, remove them on a plate and spread them nicely to stop the cooking process. Keep the plate aside for the fried onions to cool down.
(Pro tip: Deep brown onions will spoil the taste, flavor, and texture of the chicken korma).
Step 3: Now, in a separate dekchi, heat ½ cup of clarified butter (ghee) and ½ cup of cooking oil on a medium flame. When the ghee melts and the oil is hot, add 8 pieces of green cardamom (split), 8 pieces of cloves, and 2 pieces of bay leaves in it. Stir and fry them for about half a minute until you smell their aroma.
(Pro tip: Make sure to split the green cardamoms slightly while frying in the oil. It enhances the flavor of the dish).
Step 4: Now, add 1 kg of chicken to it, cut into large pieces. Turn the flame to high and cook the chicken nicely until the raw smell is gone and the chicken changes its color, as shown in the images below, stirring continuously.
Step 5: At this stage, add 3 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste to it. Stir continuously and cook it nicely for about two minutes or so until the raw smell of the ginger and garlic is gone.
Step 6: Now, add 1 tsp of red chili powder, 2 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp of turmeric powder, 2 tsp of coriander seed powder, 1 tsp of roasted and crushed cumin seeds, and 1 tbsp of salt (or according to your taste) to the chicken. Mix them all very nicely and fry it on a medium to high flame for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 7: Now, turn the flame of the gas stove to low and add a cup of yogurt (Dahi) to it. Mix it nicely with the chicken.
Step 8: When done, turn the flame to medium to high and cook the chicken until the oil separates. In the meantime, the fried onions will have cooled down sufficiently. Take the plate and crush them with your hand as shown in the images below.
Step 9: When you see the oil has separated, add the crushed fried onions to the chicken at this stage and mix nicely.
Step 10: Now, add the badam and poppy seed paste to it and mix well. Turn the flame to medium while mixing the paste. Let it cook for just a minute or so.
Step 11: At this stage, add only ¾ cup of water to the chicken korma. Mix nicely. Cover the utensil and let it cook for about 15 minutes or so on a medium flame.
Step 12: While the chicken is cooking, take 2 pieces of cinnamon sticks (inch size), 4 pieces of green cardamom, 2 pieces of black cardamom, a piece of mace, and ¼ piece of nutmeg on a plate. Put them in a grinder to make a coarse powder as shown in the image below.
Step 13: After 15 minutes, remove the cover from the dekchi. The chicken will be cooked nicely and will be thick by this time. If you want, you can add some water to it. Then, add the spice powder to the chicken korma along with 1 tsp of kewra water. Mix them nicely with the chicken gravy and cook for another minute or so, not more than that, on a medium flame, stirring continuously.
Step 14: Check the gravy of the chicken korma. If you are satisfied with the consistency and think your chicken korma is done, transfer it to a serving bowl.
Step 15: Your tasty and spicy homemade chicken korma is ready to enjoy. Serve it hot with rice or roti.
Recipe Card
Chicken Korma
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken large pieces
- 15 pieces almonds
- 15 pieces cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- Hot water – as required
- ½ cup clarified butter ghee
- ½ cup cooking oil
- 8 pieces green cardamom split
- 8 pieces cloves
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- 3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander seeds powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds roasted, crushed
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 cup yogurt Dahi
- 4 pieces onions medium-sized, sliced finely, fried separately
- 4 tbsp cooking oil to fry the onion
- ¾ cup water
- 2 pieces cinnamon sticks inch size
- 4 pieces green cardamom
- 2 pieces black cardamom
- 1 piece mace
- ¼ piece nutmeg
- 1 tsp kewra water
Instructions
- In a bowl take 15 pieces of almonds, 15 pieces of cashew nuts, and 1 tbsp of poppy seeds. Add hot water to it as required and keep it aside to soak for about 15 minutes or so. after 15 minutes, put it in a mixer and make a thick paste as shown in the images below. Keep it aside.
- Now, heat 4 tbsp of cooking oil in a handi on a medium flame. When it is hot, add 4 pieces of medium-sized onions, sliced finely, to it. Fry them nicely until they turn to a golden color. When done, remove them on a plate and spread them nicely to stop the cooking process. Keep the plate aside for the fried onions to cool down. (Pro tip: Deep brown onions will spoil the taste, flavor, and texture of the chicken korma).
- Now, in a separate dekchi, heat ½ cup of clarified butter (ghee) and ½ cup of cooking oil on a medium flame. When the ghee melts and the oil is hot, add 8 pieces of green cardamom (split), 8 pieces of cloves and 2 pieces of bay leaves in it. Stir and fry them for about half a minute until you smell their aroma. (Pro tip: Make sure to split the green cardamoms slightly while frying in the oil. It enhances the flavor of the dish).
- Now, add 1 kg of chicken to it, cut into large pieces. Turn the flame to high and cook the chicken nicely until the raw smell is gone and the chicken changes its color, as shown in the images below, stirring continuously.
- At this stage, add 3 tbsp of ginger garlic paste to it. Stir continuously and cook it nicely for about two minutes or so until the raw smell of the ginger and garlic is gone.
- Now, add 1 tsp of red chili powder, 2 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp of turmeric powder, 2 tsp of coriander seeds powder, 1 tsp of roasted and crushed cumin seeds, and 1 tbsp of salt (or according to your taste) to the chicken. Mix them all very nicely and fry it on a medium to high flame for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Now, turn the flame of the gas stove to low and add a cup of yogurt (Dahi) to it. Mix it nicely with the chicken.
- When done, turn the flame to medium to high and cook the chicken until the oil separates. In the meantime, the fried onions will have cooled down sufficiently. Take the plate and crush them with your hand as shown in the images below.
- When you see the oil has separated, add the crushed fried onions to the chicken at this stage and mix nicely.
- Now, add the badam and poppy seed paste to it and mix well. Turn the flame to medium while mixing the paste. Let it cook for just a minute or so.
- At this stage, add only ¾ cup of water to the chicken korma. Mix nicely. Cover the utensil and let it cook for about 15 minutes or so on a medium flame.
- While the chicken is cooking, take 2 pieces of cinnamon sticks (inch size), 4 pieces of green cardamom, 2 pieces of black cardamom, a piece of mace, and ¼ piece of nutmeg on a plate. Put them in a grinder to make a coarse powder as shown in the image below.
- After 15 minutes, remove the cover from the dekchi. The chicken will be cooked nicely and will be thick by this time. If you want you can add some water to it. Then, add the spice powder to the chicken korma along with 1 tsp of kewra water. Mix them nicely with the chicken gravy and cook for another minute or so, not more than that, on a medium flame, stirring continuously.
- Check the gravy of the chicken korma. If you are satisfied with the consistency and think your chicken korma is done, transfer it to a serving bowl.
- Your tasty and spicy homemade chicken korma is ready to enjoy. Serve it hot with rice or roti.
