Chicken Korma
A mild, creamy Pakistani chicken korma built on yogurt, golden fried onions and ground almonds. It is rich but gentle, so it suits family dinners and guests.
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy-bottomed pot with lid, blender or spice grinder, slotted spoon, instant-read thermometer (optional)
Method
Drain the soaked almonds and blend them with 3 tbsp water until completely smooth. Set the paste aside.
In a large bowl, mix the yogurt with the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Add the chicken, coat well and leave it to marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring often, for 12 to 14 minutes until evenly golden brown, not dark.
Lift the onions out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the oil in the pot. Add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and bay leaf, and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute until the raw smell fades. Add the marinated chicken with all the yogurt.
Cook on medium-high heat, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken turns opaque and the yogurt has thickened with no visible liquid separating.
Crush the fried onions with your fingers or the back of a spoon and add them to the pot along with the almond paste and 200 ml water. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil.
Cover and cook on low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is tender and reaches 74°C at the thickest piece. Add a splash of water if the gravy catches on the base.
Stir in the cream, garam masala and slit green chillies. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes until the gravy is thick and a thin layer of oil shines on top.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle in the kewra water and coriander, and rest the pot covered for 5 minutes before serving.
Cooking tips
- Fry the onions patiently on medium heat. Dark or burnt onions make the korma bitter and dull the pale golden colour.
- Bring the yogurt to room temperature and whisk it smooth before marinating so it does not split in the hot pot.
- Keep the heat low during the long simmer and stir from the base up, as yogurt gravies stick easily.
- Add the cream only at the end and do not boil it hard, or the gravy may turn grainy.
Substitutions
- Replace almonds with 30 g cashews or 2 tbsp melon seeds (charmagaz) for a similar creamy body.
- Use 100 g extra yogurt or 100 ml evaporated milk instead of fresh cream.
- Swap kewra water for a few drops of rose water, or leave it out.
- Boneless thigh pieces work in place of bone-in chicken; reduce the simmer to 20 minutes.
Serve with
"Serve hot with fresh naan, roghni naan or plain steamed basmati rice. A simple kachumber salad of cucumber, tomato and onion with lemon balances the richness."
Storage
"Cool completely within 2 hours. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months without the fresh coriander."
Reheating
"Warm gently in a pot over low heat with 2 to 3 tbsp water, stirring often, until piping hot throughout (at least 74°C). Thaw frozen korma in the fridge overnight first."
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
You might also cook
PakistaniChicken Karahi
Chicken cooked hard and fast in a wok-shaped karahi with tomatoes, green chilies and ginger. No onions, no cream, and ready in under an hour.
PakistaniChicken Biryani
Layers of long-grain basmati and a tangy, spiced chicken masala, steamed together until every grain stays separate. Made with potatoes and dried plums, the way many Karachi homes make it.
PakistaniAloo Gobi (Dry-Style Potato and Cauliflower Masala)
A dry, gently spiced curry of potato and cauliflower with cumin, turmeric and fresh ginger. Easy to make in one pan and good with hot roti for a weekday lunch.
PakistaniPrawn Karahi
Juicy prawns tossed quickly in a tomato, ginger and green chilli masala until the oil glistens. A fast, punchy karahi that suits a weeknight dinner with hot naan.
Pakistani kitchen
PakistaniMutton Chops Masala (Pressure-Cooked Lamb Chops in Thick Onion-Yogurt Masala)
Mutton chops are marinated, pressure-cooked until soft, then finished in a thick, glossy masala that clings to the bone. A good Sunday dinner with naan or rice.
Tawa Naan (Soft Yogurt Naan Cooked on a Griddle)
Soft, bubbly naan made with yogurt and milk, cooked on a hot tawa or in the oven. A dependable flatbread for karahi, daal and kababs, no tandoor needed.
PakistaniChicken Corn Soup
A thick, gently peppery soup of shredded chicken, sweet corn and silky egg ribbons, in the style of Pakistani Chinese restaurants. Easy to make at home on a cold evening.
Kulcha (Oven-Baked Yogurt Bread with Nigella and Sesame)
Soft, fluffy round breads made with yogurt and milk, topped with nigella and sesame and brushed with butter. They bake in a hot home oven and go well with chanay, daal or any curry.