This homemade chicken korma uses supermarket ingredients to create the most gorgeously creamy and delicious curry!
Chicken Korma gets a bad rep. To be honest, whilst I have had some cracking Kormas in my time, I’ve had so many that taste like it could be a dessert! As such, I made it my mission to knock up a delicious homemade Korma that uses supermarket ingredients. I am beyond pleased with how this recipe turns out so I really hope you give it a go! Follow me…
Chicken Korma Marinade
Most Kormas I’ve had have used chicken breast, however, I couldn’t resist the extra boost of flavour that chicken thighs bring. We’re also marinating the chicken, just to inject even more flavour into the chicken and help tenderise it.
Using Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are much fattier than breast, which means they contain more flavour AND they stay nice and juicy. This is important when it comes to cooking the chicken as we want to build up some char/flavour without drying out the chicken.
Korma Marinade
The marinade is yoghurt-based – this makes the perfect marinade as it helps bind all the other ingredients together. It’s also slightly acidic, meaning it helps tenderise the chicken. Just make sure it’s plain (i.e. no funky added flavours) and it’s full fat. Alongside the yoghurt we’re going in with some lemon juice, just to help further tenderise the chicken, alongside a simple concoction of spices and some garlic and ginger for good measure.
How long do I marinate the chicken for?
Aim for 24 hours if you can, with 3 hours being the minimum.
Process shots: add marinade ingredients to bowl (photo 1), stir (photo 2), add chicken (photo 3), stir then marinate in fridge (photo 4).
Chicken Korma
Frying the chicken
I recommend working in two batches as you fry the chicken, just to give the chicken room in the pan. Otherwise, it’ll steam and you won’t be able to develop flavour. You’re looking to lightly char the chicken for some authentic flavour. Keep in mind it’ll carry on cooking as it simmers in the sauce.
As you transfer the chicken from the marinade to the pan, just individually pluck out the pieces, leaving as much marinade behind as possible. Otherwise again, the chicken will steam and struggle to char (don’t worry, we’re going to use the leftover marinade!).
Chicken Korma Sauce
The sauce (aka the ‘gravy’) is coconut-based with the use of coconut cream. I also love adding ground almonds to add a gorgeous nutty flavour. The almonds also take on the sweetness of the sauce really nicely. We’re also going to blend the sauce so it’s nice and smooth!
Process shots: fry chicken in batches (photo 1), fry onion (photo 2), fry spices, garlic and ginger (photo 3), add chicken stock, coconut cream and ground almonds (photo 4), blend then stir in salt, sugar and cooked chicken (photo 5), simmer then stir in yoghurt (photo 6).
Chicken Korma FAQ
How sweet is a Chicken Korma?
As I mentioned, Kormas are notoriously sweet. This version is sweet, but it’s still a curry at its roots and has a lovely depth of savoury flavour. You can of course add more sugar if you’d like!
How spicy is a Chicken Korma?
This is a very mild curry. There is a gentle warmth from the spices, but nothing intense whatsoever.
What is the best consistency for this curry?
I like the sauce to be fairly thick, just to really condense the flavour. If you over-thicken the sauce just add in a splash of cream, stock, milk or water. To thicken it further just continue stirring and simmering.
Serving Chicken Korma
To finish, I like to stir through a tablespoon of yoghurt. This Korma is fairly rich, so the yoghurt helps cut through the richness and balance everything out at the end. Just make sure the yoghurt is at room temperature and is full-fat, otherwise, it can curdle.
Besides that, I recommend some Naan or Flatbread, alongside your rice of choice. I also panicked and drizzled some cream over at the end, but it’s completely unnecessary 😂
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken korma shall we?!
How to make Chicken Korma (Full Recipe & Video)
Delicious Chicken Korma Recipe
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Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Medium Sized Bowl, Spatula & Cling Film (for marinating chicken)
- Large Pan, Tongs & Wooden Spoon (for curry)
- Blender (to blend sauce)
Ingredients
Marinade
- 160g / 2/3 cup full fat Plain Yoghurt
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp finely grated/minced Fresh Ginger
- 2 cloves of Garlic, finely grated/minced
- 1 tsp EACH: Salt, Turmeric, Ground Coriander, Garam Masala (see notes)
- 640g / 1.4lb boneless skinless Chicken Thighs, diced into large bite-sized pieces (see notes)
Sauce
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil, or as needed
- 1 large White Onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp finely grated/minced Fresh Ginger
- 2 cloves of Garlic, finely grated/minced
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Turmeric, Garam Masala
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Ground Cardamom, Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
- 240ml / 1 cup Chicken Stock
- 500g / 18oz full fat Coconut Cream (see notes)
- 3 tbsp Ground Almonds (see notes)
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp full fat Plain Yoghurt, at room temp
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together all the marinade ingredients beside the chicken. Mix in the chicken until fully coated, then tightly cover and rest in the fridge for 3-24 hours (aim for the latter if you can). Take out the fridge 30 minutes before needed.
- Add 1 tbsp oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, use tongs to pluck out half of the chicken and space it out in the pan. Leave to fry until lightly charred on the bottom, then flip the pieces and continue frying until charred on the other side and cooked through the centre (around 3 minutes per side – keep in mind it'll continue cooking later). Remove and store in a bowl to one side and repeat with the second batch, adding more oil as needed. Keep the leftover marinade in the bowl!
- Turn the heat down to medium, top up with more oil if needed, then add in the onion. Gently fry until soft and golden, then add in the garlic, ginger, ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Fry for a minute, then add the chicken stock and coconut cream. Swiftly stir to bind the coconut cream (it'll split at first but will come back together). Add the ground almonds and scrape in the leftover marinade from the bowl.
- Give it a stir and simmer for 6-8 minutes to thicken slightly. Turn off the heat and leave it to stop bubbling, then carefully transfer it to a blender and pulse until smooth.
- Pour the sauce back into the pan and stir in the salt and sugar. Stir in the cooked chicken alongside all the resting juices, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for around 18-20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and once the bubbles die down, stir in the yoghurt. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and sugar if desired, then serve up and enjoy!
Video
Notes
b) Spices – You’ll find all the listed spices/seasonings at most supermarkets. This is a mild curry, but you’ll get a very subtle amount of heat from the garam masala.
c) Sugar – Korma is notably quite a sweet curry. I find 2 tbsp sugar hits the sweet spot, but you can add more a tsp at a time if you feel you want it sweeter.
d) Ground Almonds – You’ll find this in small packets at most supermarkets in the nut/dried fruit section.
e) Coconut Cream – Make sure it’s full fat otherwise it can curdle with the hot stock. You’ll find it, usually in small cartons, in most supermarkets in the Asian section.
f) Serving – Naan or Flatbreads are a must!
g) Calories – Just the curry divided by 4.
Nutrition
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
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- Coronation Chicken Curry
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- Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
- Chicken Thai Green Curry
- Chicken Curry in a hurry
- Butter Chicken
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