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).
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)
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