Tender chicken in a richly spiced, aromatic, uber creamy sauce, chicken korma is an Indian dish often saved for special occasions. Cousin to a curry, korma is less spicy than your typical curry and focuses on flavor more than heat, but you can kick up the heat to any level you desire.
I was trying to create a dish worthy of a very special occasion because yesterday was Mother’s Day and I wanted to go see my mom. When I called to ask her if I could come visit her for Mother’s Day, she said yes, but no gifts. Sigh. I am a gifter at heart … I asked if she would at least allow me to cook for her. She relented. I asked if there was anything special she’d like to eat, and told her she could take her time to think about it. She texted the next day and requested chicken curry. I thought about it for a while and then decided I would bring chicken korma, a very close cousin to chicken curry.
Years ago, I made veggie korma, after falling in love with it at a local Nepalese restaurant. I debated whether or not to make this a chicken AND veggie korma, but my kids seemed interested in trying it and they tend to be super picky about their veggies, so I kept it pretty basic and true to the recipe’s roots, which are pretty much always (from what I can tell) simply chicken in sauce. I studied several recipes before I began, but couldn’t decide on just one! There were pieces I loved about several of them, so I made my own version of chicken korma, based on bits and pieces from: Tea for Turmeric, Indian Healthy Recipes and Simply Recipes.
The Results
The sauce for this korma turned out rich and luxuriant, with so much depth of flavor! I would definitely use this sauce on other things in the future.
As far as what part of the chicken to use: I used chicken breasts this time, but I think next time I might go with chicken thighs instead … they tend to stay tender longer. Breast chunks are so touchy and can get tough if you cook them just a tad too long, but the nice thing with this recipe is even if you DO overcook the chicken a little, the rich creamy sauce is there to come to the rescue. You could even shred the chicken and let it soak up the sauce some more, then serve it scooped into Naan or pita bread, more Mediterranean sandwich-style.
Also, next time I think I’d add some veggies. I think cauliflower, carrot or butternut squash and peas would be really good. And/or green beans. Sweet potato? Brussels sprouts? I really don’t think you can go wrong by adding veggies.
One other thing: if you’re in a hurry, I think you could perhaps skip the marinating step. Marinating in yogurt helps keep chicken from drying out when cooking, but the sauce here more than makes up for a bit of dryness.
If you find the sauce gets too thick (mine definitely got thicker in the fridge overnight!), add some coconut milk, milk, light cream or water to thin it.
What to serve with Chicken Korma?
Indian dishes like korma with its thick, rich, creamy sauce are always served with Naan to sop up the good flavor (or other bread like Roti or Chapati … or my soft sourdough gyro pita bread would be stellar too). Daal is also a favorite, a creamy bean dish that boasts many of the same flavors. I actually did make some daal to serve with this and it was such a beautiful counterpoint. (I’ll be blogging that recipe soon.) I have to say I loved the daal almost more than the chicken! A nice green salad or cucumber and/or tomato slices balance out the meal. Of course, rice is also a great way to soak up the flavors … I would suggest going with the heart healthier brown basmati rice, if you can find it. Delightful flavor AND fiber.
Other delicious options for veggie side dishes are:
- veggie korma (a natural!)
- saag paneer (Indian creamed spinach with cheese)
- Nepalese cauliflower curry
- potato and eggplant curry
- eggplant and chickpea curry
Much to my amazement, my kids BOTH tried this recipe … they have ALWAYS shied away from Indian food (aside from Naan) and they seemed quite pleased with the flavor and said they would eat it if I made it again. I wouldn’t let them eat too much at taste-testing time, though, because I made this recipe for my mom!
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Indian Chicken Korma
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup half & half or coconut milk
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon each: turmeric, garam masala and cayenne (or other ground dry red chiles)
- 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks – or chicken pieces, de-skinned
For the creamy korma sauce:
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1 cup canned tomatoes with juices
- 2 Tablespoons butter or ghee
- 1 large onion or 2 medium onions, peeled & chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 – 5 green cardamom pods
- 6 – 8 cloves of garlic, peeled & chopped
- A 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger root, grated
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
To finish the chicken:
- 1 Tablespoon butter or ghee
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches)
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: garam masala, turmeric, paprika, cumin
- A pinch of EACH: nutmeg, cloves, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom
- Salt and ground cayenne (or ground red chile), to taste
- For garnish: fresh cilantro leaves or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a small/medium mixing bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Chop the chicken into chunks. Add the chicken chunks to the marinade and stir to coat all the chicken. Set the bowl in the fridge and let marinate for at least 2 hours. (If marinating for longer, cover the bowl with a plate or reusable cover.)
- While the chicken is marinating, put the almonds and tomatoes in a small bowl and soak for at least 15 minutes, preferably longer.
- About 1 – 2 hours before chicken cooking time, make the sauce! Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the 2 Tablespoons of butter or ghee, using a spatula to coat the bottom of the pan, then add the onions and cardamom pods and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and caramelized.
- Add the garlic and ginger and saute a couple minutes longer. Remove from heat. Put the sauteed onion mixture into a blender along with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth, adding water if needed to get a nice smooth texture. Let sit at room temperature until needed.
- Rinse the yogurt marinade off the chicken and drain thoroughly. Pat the chicken dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the Tablespoon of butter or ghee. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and spices and stir with a spatula, toasting the spices until fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces and let them brown and sear on all sides, then reduce heat to medium low and stir in the yogurt sauce, adding coconut milk, milk, cream or water as needed to thin the sauce.
- Cover loosely and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through (at 165 F for larger pieces poked with a cooking thermometer). Garnish with chopped cilantro (or parsley) and enjoy!
Notes
I suggest serving with a side of daal and naan (or my sourdough gyro pita bread), with a light salad or sliced cucumbers. Cooked brown basmati is also nice.
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2 comments
That creamy sauce looks absolutely incredible, Ann! And I’ve pinned your Saag Paneer recipe, too… Looks so good!!
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