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Chicken Korma is one of our favorite Indian dishes. It is SO easy to make at home! You will love the bright, savory flavor with a hint of coconut.
Featured with this recipe
My cousin’s wife, Kristen, made this Chicken Coconut Korma for us when we were living in California and my husband and I were both crazy about it. They were really the first to introduce us to Indian food and now it is something we get ALL THE TIME because we fell head over heels in love. In fact, shortly after that, we had Indian neighbors move in to the apartment next door and I could always smell the yummy spices of the food she was making. I wanted to invite myself over for dinner every day. I miss the delicious smells from that time.
Our good friend, Meena, is also from India. She is an incredible cook. Meena introduced us to real Indian food, with fresh, authentic ingredients. She would go to India and bring back spices with her because they were so much better over there than anything we have in America. She gave me a little bag of her spice mix and I still have some. I only use it for special occasions, and sometimes I sneak into my cupboard and open the bag just to breathe in the incredible scent.
Ingredients in Chicken Korma
You don’t need to search high and low for ingredients to make a stunning Indian dish. Find anything you need on-line or your grocery store. Here’s what you need:
For the Chicken Spice Marinade:
- Chicken breasts – three boneless chicken breasts, pounded to thin, or about a quarter of an inch thick. You can also use chicken thighs or other bone-in chicken.
- Salt – half teaspoon of kosher salt. Regular table salt will work great for this recipe, as well.
- Ground cumin – one teaspoon of this spice will give the dish a warm, slightly smoky flavor that you’ll love.
- Ground coriander – half teaspoon will add a slightly citrus flavor and aroma.
- Turmeric – this spice enhances the flavor of other spices with a deep, slightly earthy fragrance.
- Cayenne – unlike other peppers, this one isn’t super spicy. It’s hot but a little fruity, which sounds strange but combined with the other spices makes this dish fragrant and delicious.
Ingredients for the Chicken Korma:
- Vegetable oil – one tablespoon of regular canola oil is perfect for this recipe.
- Minced garlic – three teaspoons, or three cloves garlic.
- Ginger – half a teaspoon
- Ground cumin – cumin is rich and earthy, with a slightly citrus flavor and smell. So good!
- Ground coriander
- Turmeric – yes, a little more turmeric for the chicken as well as the marinade.
- Cayenne – this spice gives the chicken beautiful red color as well as delicious flavor.
- Tomatoes – lightly blended, or one can diced tomatoes
- Plain Greek yogurt – just a few tablespoons of plain, is all you need. You can use sour cream too, if you don’t have any yogurt on hand.
- Water
- Salt
- Coconut milk – 14 ounces of canned coconut milk. Find it in the canned foods section of the grocery store.
- Garam masala – this Indian spice blend is found at any grocery store, Walmart or on Amazon.
What is Korma?
You’ve probably heard of chicken curry or tikka masala, but what about korma? It’s a creamy dish of meat and veggies braised with yogurt and spices. The thick sauce seeped in smoky and sweet spices, balanced out with coconut milk, tastes absolutely scrumptious over chicken, vegetables or beef. You can use it as a dip, marinade or extra sauce on the table.
The Difference Between Korma and Curry
Curry means ‘sauce or gravy’. It is a popular Indian dish that is heavily spiced and very flavorful. Korma is a type of curry originating in South India. The korma is known for its mild flavor and creamier texture, which comes from the use of yogurt in it. Kormas are known to contain ground and sometimes whole nuts, as well as pieces of fruit. They are spiced more for flavor rather than heat.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chicken Korma
Korma is not spiced and flavored for heat and ‘spiciness’ but more for flavor. The different elements in a korma could provide a level of ‘spice’ if used in high amounts, but the end goal of using the different spices, the garam masala, the coriander, the cayenne, are to bring heat and warmth, not spice. Korma is nice for people who love rich, intense flavor without the burning of spice.
Chicken coconut korma contains coconut milk, so there is a light sweetness. It is a nice balance to the other flavors, but not cloyingly sweet or fake tasting.
Kormas are typically creamy and sweet, gathering flavors from either coconut milk, yogurt, cream, or butter, sometimes using nuts, depending on the flavor you are going for. The spices used are warm and inviting, spices and roots like ginger, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, and coriander. They are mild in spice, more of a warm heat, with a light sweetness to balance out the warmth.
Read More: 35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love
More Indian Recipes
A few months back I posted a recipe for a tasty Indian dish called Chicken Tikka Masala, which is also to die for, after that I received a lot of requests for an easy chicken korma recipe. After much ado, here it is, and believe me when I say it was worth the wait. This dish is so yummy! Many thanks again to Kristen for both these recipes! Here are some more favorites:
How to Make Chicken Korma
Chicken Korma
Ingredients
CHICKEN SPICE MARINADE:
- 3 chicken breasts sliced thin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- Mix this all together about an hour ahead of time.
CHICKEN COCONUT KORMA:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 medium tomatoes lightly blended (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
- 4 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 14 oz coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon garam masala an Indian spice
Instructions
- Put the chicken (that has been marinating in the spices) into a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through.
- In a large sauce pan, put the oil, garlic, and ginger over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Then add the remaining spices (except salt and masala) and simmer for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the yogurt and blend in with a wire whisk.
- Then add the cooked chicken pieces, the ¾ cup water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk and garam masala then simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes fairly thick. Serve with rice.
Notes
- Garnish with crushed cashews or almonds and cilantro with limes on the side
- Buttered naan goes deliciously with this chicken korma recipe
- Basmati rice with butter and peas is a delicious side to this dish
- Looking to increase fiber and cut down on carbohydrates? Try making cauliflower rice, use our recipe!
- Your leftovers will last in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days.
tried this recipe but had to thicken with flour as sauce never thickened as stated.
Great recipe but I used coconut cream to thicken instead of water.
My family love this !!! Thank you so much for a new weekly favourite dish
Is it okay to substitute sour cream for greek yogurt? Love this site btw. Everything I’ve tried from here is just oh so good!
You can try it! I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it would be okay.
This was yummy and I’ll be making it again! Thanks! Question: You’ve spelled it 2 different ways on the post and on the recipe itself…is it “Korma” or “Kurma”? Just curious. Thanks again! Yum!
I’ve made this so many times and always forget to leave a review. This is AMAZE-BALLS and a regular staple in my house with three very picky eaters. The only adjustment I make is cutting cayenne in half since I have a few kids who aren’t fans of the spicy…unfortunately. But despite that, it always turns out perfect! Thanks for a great recipe!
Delicious Indian Kurma! We have made it twice now – the first time from raw chicken breasts and the second time from canned chicken breast. Rotisserie chicken would work too. Excellent flavor, with a moderate spiciness (from an anglo-American point of view). Thanks for a GREAT recipe!
I just made this for dinner and it tastes fabulous! However, I was wondering if the chicken is supposed to be cooked in the pan with a bit of oil. I cooked it in vegetable oil although it doesn’t say to do that. Is it meant to be cooked dry somehow?
You can cook it in a bit of oil! After I marinate it, it usually has enough liquid to cook in, but adding oil is totally fine!
Thanks! I did notice it had some liquid after marinating. I’ll just cook it in the liquid next time, because there will be a next time soon!
Inspired by the fantastic East Indian Company 6$ Korma sauce, and the recipe on this page.
1 onion (caramelized with sunflower oil)
2 medium or 1 large clove of garlic freshly minced
3/4 tsp store bought minced ginger or 1/2 freshly minced ginger
Cook garlic and ginger after onion caramelization on low medium heat for 3 minutes.
Blend with condensed tomato soup or tomato sauce
Note: a 50 ml descrepency is acceptable between coconut milk and condensed tomato soup or sauce
so if using 250 ml coconut milk, use 250-300 ml of condensed tomato soup or sauce
1 tbsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground coriander (coriander and coconut go well together)
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 slightly heaping tsp cayenne pepper (add when cooking chicken)
3/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp white wine (added to onions for zing) optional
A Few drops of worchestershire sauce + salt (flavour enhancers)
Precook the chicken with lid on, on high with sunflower oil for 3 minutes each side, keep lid on
reduce to medium low and cook for another 4 minutes.
Add blended contents. Cook on medium-high for 8 minutes with lid on.
Reduce heat to low, Add spices, stir continuously for 2 minutes, wait 2 more minutes and serve.
Basmatti rice or oven heated Naan is a must.
Have too agree with spicy lady I followed the recipe to the letter and it was all looking good until I completely ruined it with that tsp of salt at the end I would definitely leave it out next time
I did chicken kurma but came out really salty. What do I do wrong?
It may just be personal preference. I would cut the salt in half or leave it out next time.
Next time I’m leaving out the cayenne pepper this dish is a little on the spicy side
Would it taste okay if I used normal yogurt instead of Greek? Or do you need the Greek?
You can go either way, I like to use the greek because its thicker and has a bolder flavor.
We loved this! For fun, I took all the suggestions of previous reviewers (decreased water to 1/4 cup, added onion, added a pinch of sugar, decreased cayenne, topped with cashews), and oh, yum! Also, I added a bit of cornstarch at the end because we like a thicker sauce. Thanks so much for a recipe I will be making again.
Made it today!!! Wow! Better than my Indian takeaway!
Thanks
Do glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to let us know 😀
This is an awesome recipe! Have you ever tried it in a slow cooker?
Haven’t tried it in a slow cooker before… if you try it, let us know how it turns out!