Chicken Korma

I didn’t grow up with chicken korma.

Growing up in a traditional Indian household, chicken was served maybe a few times a week. Although these meals would be a treat, chicken curry was primarily what my mom cooked.

What is korma?

Korma is prepared by marinating a meat in a yogurt or cream base and then stewing it. The dish is traditionally cooked over low heat for about an hour, until the meat is tender and the sauce takes on a rich and creamy glaze.

When the Mughals came to India from Central Asia, they brought their own cuisine with them, including the yoghurt-based (or sometimes cream-based) slow-stewed dish, korma.

In India, which differs from its native country in terms of climate, spices and crops, the recipe has evolved over time to include more spices such as coriander and cumin. Some kormas also combine meat and vegetables such as spinach and beets.

Over time, the dish evolved and various recipes emerged. Vegetarians make navratan korma where GPS means nine and ratan means gems or jewels and refers to the nine types of vegetables used in the dish. Korma, which is prepared in the southern part of India, contains coconut as coconut is heavily used in southern Indian cuisine.

How to make this korma recipe

I designed this chicken korma recipe to be more accessible without sacrificing authenticity or flavor.

Instead of slow cooking bone-in meat, I used boneless chicken thighs, which makes the cooking process quick enough to whip up the dish on a weekday.

I tried to use minimal spices that are also easily accessible. This dish isn’t heavily flavored anyway, but it does draw on several flavor profiles. I prefer to use green cardamom pods over other varieties. You can use black cardamom, but it will change the taste of the dish.

Like most Mughlai dishes, this one uses nuts, dried fruits and spices in addition to cream. Fried onions give the korma a slightly sweet taste, yogurt adds acidity to the dish, spices add warmth to the dish, and nuts add richness.

The addition of unsweetened coconut (fresh or dried) came with time. Most South Indian kormas use it, probably due to the ready availability of coconut in a South Indian cuisine. You can find dried or freshly grated coconut at your local Indian store or on Amazon. But I would suggest that you just leave out the coconut if it’s too hard for you to find.

How to cook this dish in advance

You can cook this dish ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days or freeze it for up to a month. Before serving, thaw the korma and either reheat on a stovetop until warm through or in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes before serving.

What to serve with Korma

Typically, kormas are served with some type of bread, probably because a korma doesn’t have enough sauce to be served with rice.

I serve mine with naan or lachcha paratha, but you can also serve it with some steamed basmati rice if you like it.

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