Easy Chicken Korma Recipe, a restaurant-style Indian curry with a rich, creamy homemade sauce made with coconut milk and ground almonds. It's a mild curry dish that is quick and easy to make, ready to be served in about 30 minutes. A great chicken dinner recipe for the whole family.
That I love curries is surely an understatement. I love them! And now I can add to my list of favourite Indian curry dishes this fantastic Chicken Korma. I am all for chicken, as you can tell, when it comes to a good old curry.
I can't say no to a good beef curry either, or even fish or nice vegetarian curry like chickpea curry, but no other meat, I am afraid. Chicken is the usual choice purely because it can be cooked pretty quickly, it's tasty, easy to make, and generally speaking, is everybody's favourite meat.
I did make this chicken korma mild so my kids could enjoy it too, so feel free to add a lot more spiciness to it. I don't mind the mild version, but I do appreciate that a bit of a chilli makes it taste even better.
It's the great marriage between the sweetness of the coconut and the heat of the spices used that makes this the best chicken sauce you can possibly have.
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Ingredients used
- chicken breast - it's my go-to when I make chicken curry, but chicken thighs or legs could be used to, just cut the meat off the bone and use it the same way
- onion - yellow, red or shallots can be used here
- tinned coconut milk - go for a full fat-one, the light coconut milk is too watery, and doesn't work at all
- Indian spices - my curry is pretty mild, but you can go for some heat if you want too
- blanched almonds to garnish - they are optional, but I highly recommend using them, they give a nice texture to the curry
- bay leaves - they have a wonderful aroma that works very well here
Step-by-step instructions and photos
Now, there are so many variations of chicken korma out there. The very authentic ones will use a lot more spices than I used, but my version is an extra simplified one to cater for all tastes.
And while it's not authentic, it surely is as delicious as it can be. Plus, it's ready in about 30 minutes or so. What else can I ask for? This is homemade food that beats any take-away. It's so easy to make, it's nearly ridiculous.
- fry the onion until translucent, add the chopped garlic and pureed ginger
- cook for a further 30 seconds
- add the chicken chunks, and fry until no longer pink
- add the spices and ground almonds, and give it a good stir
- in go the coconut milk, chicken stock/broth and bay leaves
- place the lid on and leave to cook until the sauce is reduced and the chicken is cooked through - this should be ready in well under 20 minutes
- in a separate pan, add the blanched almonds, and toss for 30 seconds or so until they become golden, then garnish the curry with them and fresh parsley
Tips and FAQ
The coconut milk together with the earthy Indian spices, ground almonds and chicken stock make the best korma sauce. I never buy ready-made curry sauces, they are nowhere near as delicious as a homemade one.
When you use a tin of coconut milk, make sure you use the coconut cream as well, this is usually separated from the milk.
This dish can be safely frozen to be enjoyed any other time, just make sure you store it into an air-tight container. I usually cook a bit extra and freeze some food, just in case there are days when I am short of time.
While some recipes mention the use of yogurt only, I find that what makes it stand out from other chicken curries is the use of coconut milk. You can use plain yogurt too, but I would highly recommend using it together with the coconut milk.
Unlike other chicken curries, chicken korma is a milk curry, spiced, but definitely not spicy.
Absolutely! To defrost, either microwave it, or leave it to thaw in the fridge, then add heat it up in the oven until it's bubbling hot.
Rice, nice kind of flatbread or poppadoms are the best sides for chicken korma.
Other curry recipes
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Easy Chicken Korma Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g diced chicken breast ( 3 chicken breasts)
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger puree
- 400 ml tinned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup chicken stock (broth)
- parsley or coriander (cilantro) to garnish
- ¼ cup blanched almonds to garnish (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Peel and chop the garlic and onion.
- In a large pan, heat up the oil, then add the onion and fry for about 3-4 minutes until transluscent.
- Add the ginger paste and garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken and stir well, then let it cook until no longer pink.
- Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, ground almonds, bay leaves and spices, and let it cook with the lid on for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is reduced.
- If you use blanched almonds, heat up a pan, and toss the almonds for 30 seconds or so until they become golden, and garnish the curry with them and with fresh parsley.
Notes
- To see the measurements in cups and ounces, please click on the US CUSTOMARY link.
- The amount of ingredients listed can be adjusted depending on the number of servings you need, just click on the number next to SERVINGS.
- The coconut milk together with the earthy Indian spices, ground almonds and chicken stock make the best korma sauce. I never buy ready-made curry sauces, they are nowhere near as delicious as a homemade one.
- When you use a tin of coconut milk, make sure you use the coconut cream as well, this is usually separated from the milk.
- This dish can be safely frozen to be enjoyed any other time, just make sure you store it into an air-tight container. I usually cook a bit extra and freeze some food, just in case there are days when I am short of time.
Melanie Papandreou
Ingredients says ground almonds but no mention of it in the method??? When do we add the ground almonds!
Thanks