Chicken korma

Name: Chicken korma
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 kg Chicken, bone-in, skinned, in curry-cut pieces; 250 g Yoghurt, full-fat, whisked smooth; 3 medium Onion, thinly sliced; 40 g Cashews, soaked in hot water 20 minutes; 30 g Almond, blanched, soaked with the cashews; 5 tbsp Ghee; 2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste; 6 piece Cardamom, green pods, cracked; 5 piece Cloves; 1 piece Cinnamon stick; 2 piece Bay leaf; 2 tsp Ground coriander; 1 tsp Chilli powder, Kashmiri; 0.5 tsp White pepper; 1 tsp Garam masala; 1.5 tsp Salt; 400 ml Water, 100 ml for the nut paste, the rest as needed; 1 pinch Saffron, steeped in 1 tbsp warm water; 0.5 tsp Rose water; 4 tbsp Cream

मुर्ग़ कोरमा

Mughlai korma: chicken braised slowly with whole spices in yoghurt, deep-brown onion and a paste of cashews and almonds. Rich and fragrant, not sweet.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: मुर्ग़ कोरमा.

Start cooking

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr
Rest: None
Total: 1 hr 30 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

Image coming soon

About

Korma is a braise, not a colour. In the Mughlai version the chicken is cooked gently in ghee with whole spices, then in a sauce of yoghurt blended with onions fried deep brown, and finally with soaked cashews and almonds ground smooth. Nothing is boiled hard, because yoghurt and nut paste split and catch. The finished sauce is pale brown, thick and glossy, mildly hot from a little chilli and white pepper, and scented with cardamom and a few drops of rose water. The bright yellow, sweet takeaway korma of British high streets is a different dish with the same name.

What you'll need

20 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 20 ready

4 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Chicken, bone-in, skinned, in curry-cut pieces1 kg
Yoghurt, full-fat, whisked smooth250 g
Onion, thinly sliced3 medium
Cashews, soaked in hot water 20 minutes40 g
Almond, blanched, soaked with the cashews30 g
Ghee74 ml
Ginger garlic paste30 ml
Cardamom, green pods, cracked6
Cloves5
Cinnamon stick1
Bay leaf2
Ground coriander9.9 ml
Chilli powder, Kashmiri4.9 ml
White pepper2½ ml
Garam masala4.9 ml
Salt7.4 ml
Water, 100 ml for the nut paste, the rest as needed400 ml
Saffron, steeped in 1 tbsp warm water (optional)1 pinch
Rose water (optional)2½ ml
Cream (optional)59 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Heat the ghee in a heavy pot and fry the onions over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring, until evenly deep brown. Lift them out, leaving the ghee behind, and blend them with the yoghurt to a smooth paste. Drain the soaked nuts and blend them with 100 ml water until very fine.
25 min
Tip: The onions decide the colour and depth. Too pale and the sauce is flat and sweet; burnt and it is bitter.
Step 2
Reheat the ghee, add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and let them crackle for 30 seconds. Add the ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute, then the chicken and salt, and turn the pieces over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until they look sealed but not browned.
8 min
Step 3
Turn the heat low and add the ground coriander, chilli powder and white pepper for 30 seconds. Add the onion and yoghurt paste and stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, then cover and cook gently for 25 minutes, stirring now and then and adding a splash of water if it catches.
30 min
Watch: Keep the heat low when the yoghurt goes in. Fast boiling curdles it.
Step 4
Stir in the nut paste and about 200 ml water and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and the ghee starts to pool at the edges.
10 min
Step 5
Finish with the garam masala, saffron and its water, rose water and cream, if using. Taste for salt, rest 5 minutes and serve with naan, sheermal or plain rice.
5 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 799 kcal
Protein: 86.1 g
Carbs: 20.7 g
Fat: 40.8 g
Saturated fat: 17.3 g
Fibre: 4.7 g
Sugar: 8.3 g
Sodium: 1154 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk
Tree nuts

Gluten-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Cashews and almonds → Melon seeds (magaz) or white poppy seeds
The traditional nut-free thickeners in Lucknow and Hyderabad. Soak and grind them the same way.
Ghee → Neutral oil with a spoon of butter at the end
Lighter and cheaper. The sauce loses a little of its gloss.

Tips

Make it a day ahead. Korma thickens and improves overnight; loosen it with water when reheating.
Whisk the yoghurt smooth before blending. Lumpy yoghurt makes a grainy sauce.

History & culture

Korma belongs to the celebration table in Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad, especially in Muslim households, where it comes out at weddings, at Eid and for guests, alongside biryani, sheermal or naan. It is a dish for people you want to impress, and the cook is judged on how smooth the sauce is and how the ghee rises at the end.

The name comes from an Urdu word for braising, and the method arrived with the court cooks of the Mughal emperors from the 16th century. Persian ideas of yoghurt marinades and nut-thickened sauces met Indian spices. The court kitchens of Awadh and Hyderabad later made it richer still, with saffron, cream and kewra.

Traditional — Lucknow kormas lean on kewra and saffron; Hyderabadi ones carry more chilli and sometimes poppy seed or coconut. This is a middle-road Mughlai korma. The cream is optional and many cooks would leave it out.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Chicken korma take?

1 hr 30 min all in — 30 min prep, 1 hr cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk, Tree nuts. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Blender, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.

What can I use instead?

Cashews and almonds → Melon seeds (magaz) or white poppy seeds. The traditional nut-free thickeners in Lucknow and Hyderabad. Soak and grind them the same way. Ghee → Neutral oil with a spoon of butter at the end. Lighter and cheaper. The sauce loses a little of its gloss.

What should I watch for?

Keep the heat low when the yoghurt goes in. Fast boiling curdles it.

Any tips from this recipe?

Make it a day ahead. Korma thickens and improves overnight; loosen it with water when reheating. Whisk the yoghurt smooth before blending. Lumpy yoghurt makes a grainy sauce.

Can I prepare this ahead?

Make it a day ahead. Korma thickens and improves overnight; loosen it with water when reheating. Reheat the ghee, add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and let them crackle for 30 seconds. Add the ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute, then the chicken and salt, and turn the pieces over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until they look sealed but not browned.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.