Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Indian

Chicken korma

Non-vegetarian

चिकन कोरमा · chicken korma

Chicken braised in yogurt with browned onions, ground almonds or cashews and warm whole spices. Mild, nutty and fragrant rather than fiery.

Chicken korma is an Indian curry, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with chicken thigh, yogurt and cashews. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
440

Optionally marinate the chicken in the yogurt for 1–8 hours first.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the chicken with the yogurt (opens in a new tab), ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab) and salt. Set aside while you brown the onions (opens in a new tab) (or refrigerate up to 8 hours).

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Keep marinating chicken in the fridge; wash surfaces after handling it.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the ghee (opens in a new tab) and fry the sliced onions (opens in a new tab) slowly until evenly deep golden. Lift out half, leaving the rest in the pot.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the whole spices to the pot for 30 seconds, then the chicken with its marinade, coriander and chilli. Cook, stirring, until the yogurt (opens in a new tab) reduces and the oil appears.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat
    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Crush the reserved onions (opens in a new tab) and add with the cashew (opens in a new tab) paste and water. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Chicken should reach 75 °C in the centre.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the garam masala (opens in a new tab) and rose water (opens in a new tab) and rest a few minutes before serving.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
North India (Mughlai), India · Commonly attributedKorma, meaning a braise, belongs to the Mughal court tradition shared by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.Also popular in Pakistan, Bangladesh, United KingdomMore food from India
Dish
Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Braised, Simmered
Taste
mild, nutty, creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Freezer-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Chicken thigh · Yogurt · Cashews · Ghee · Onion · Cardamom
Techniques
Simmering · Braising · Marinating · Reduction

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt, ghee
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom cashews

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

440 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 353 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 36%
  • Carbohydrate 14%
  • Fat 50%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy440 kcal124 kcal
Protein39.7 g11.2 g
Carbohydrate15.3 g4.3 g
Net carbohydrate12.6 g3.6 g
Sugars5.6 g1.6 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.6 g0.7 g
Fat24.8 g7 g
Saturated fat10.3 g2.9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol197 mg56 mg
Sodium925 mg262 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
727 mg
Calcium
123 mg
Iron
2.9 mg
Magnesium
97 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
116 µg
Vitamin C
7 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
1.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
25 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: rose water.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Fry the onions in batches if your pan is small; crowded onions steam instead of browning.

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the onions — pale onions make the sauce taste raw; burnt ones make it bitter.

Serve with

  • Serve with naan or saffron rice.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently until piping hot, adding a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like