Creamy Chicken Korma Recipe Recipe Card
Creamy Chicken Korma is a luxurious Indian meal made with low-carb and keto ingredients without sacrificing the flavours of a centuries-old recipe. Make it on the stove or Instant Pot! Add vegetables to enjoy korma as a stew, or pair it with cauliflower rice and beer for a complete and satisfying meal.6g net carbs/serving
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 lbs Chicken Thighs boneless and skinless
- 4 tbsp Yogurt greek or plain
- 8 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 inch Ginger grated
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Salt
Caramelized Onion paste
- 2 medium Onions caramelized (makes apprx 1/2 cup)
- 2 Hot Green Chillis optional
- 2 tsp Coriander powder/ground
- 1 tsp Cumin powder/ground
- ½ tsp Cinnamon powder/ground
- 1 tsp Cloves powder/ground
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder/ground
- ½ tsp Nutmeg powder/ground
- ½ tsp Chilli powder/ground
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Salt
Almond Paste
- ½ cup Almond Flour or ground Cashews for cashew paste
- 4 tbsp Yogurt Greek or Plain
Cooking Oils & Water
- 2 tbsp Butter Unsalted
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 cups Water
Garnish
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste optional
- 1 tbsp Cilantro finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp caramelized onions optional
- 1-2 green chillis optional
Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken
- Cut the chicken thighs into chunky 2-inch pieces and marinate them with yogurt salt, turmeric and ginger-garlic paste. Keep it in the fridge for at least 30 mins or overnight.
Step 2: Prepare the Caramelized Onion Paste
- Add caramelized onions, hot green chilli, and spices in a food processor or magic bullet. If you don't have caramelized onions or don't have time to make them, then using raw onion will still make this dish taste delicious.
Step 3: Prepare the Almond Paste
- Blend almond flour with yogurt in a magic bullet or food processor, and set it aside; this will help to thicken the caramelized onion sauce and give the korma a rich and creamy gravy.I’ve added a post on how to make caramelized onions; it only takes 20-30 minutes to get soft, sweet, succulent golden onion slices. View it here.
Step 4: Make Creamy Chicken Korma
- Part OneSet a medium or large-sized pot over high heat and add the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted, add the chicken pieces to the pot and saute them on medium heat. Let them braise for about 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown some pieces.Add the caramelized onion paste to the chicken and stir to combine. Let the chicken cook for a few minutes to release natural oils from the spices. It may start to burn, so continue stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Add water to the chicken and cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer the korma for 25 minutes.
- Part TwoAfter 25 minutes, the oils from the chicken and sauce will have gathered to the surface and be watery. Increase the heat and stir in the almond paste. Mix the almond paste thoroughly to break up any lumps in the sauce.Stir the korma a few times to blend the almond paste into the sauce and reduce the heat to prevent it from burning at the bottom of the pot. The sauce will begin to thicken immediately. As the korma sauce thickens, it's time to add tomato paste. Stir it into the sauce to give it a cozy warm colour.Cook the chicken korma for about 5 minutes, then serve it in bowls.Garnish with cilantro, green chillis and caramelized onions.
Instant Pot method for making Creamy Chicken Korma
- On Saute mode, add butter and oil until HOT. Melt butter and add oil. Add Chicken pieces and saute lightly brown the chicken all over. 5 minutes.Add the caramelized onion paste and saute for a few minutes to release natural oils from the spices. It may start to burn, so continue stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Cancel Saute Mode, and stir in water to combine. Close the lid. Set Instant pot to MEAT/STEW mode on low setting for 8 minutes. Press the START Button and wait until the time is up.Cancel the Meat/Stew setting and natural release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure and open the lid. The oils from the chicken and sauce will come to the surface. It will be watery, so increase the heat and stir. Add the almond paste. Stir the korma a few times to blend the almond paste into the sauce and reduce the heat to prevent it from burning at the bottom of the pot. The sauce will begin to thicken immediately. I like to add a bit of tomato paste to give the korma some tartness and colour. You will see the colour change to a slightly warm yellow-orange. Cook for about 5 mins. Chicken Korma is ready! Serve in bowls.Garnish with cilantro, caramelized onions and chillis.
Notes
Caramelize the onions - it takes 20-30 minutes and if you have time to spare, this is a must. It will increase the prep time but so worth it! I like to prepare caramelized onions the day before making anything that requires them.
Cut the chicken pieces a little bigger than bite-size - Chicken pieces shrink while they're simmering.
Marinate the chicken for longer than 30 minutes - up to 24 hours in the fridge. The ginge-garlic paste infuses the yogurt and coats the chicken during braising.
Avoid using lemon juice in this recipe - it’s not needed; the tanginess of the yogurt will replace it.
Make sure to braise the chicken pieces - to seal the ginger-garlic robust flavour and give the chicken a golden colour.
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