Been making a lot of indian curries recently. It’s been a couole of years since I last made chicken korma and I remember back then the recipe I used was very basic and simple.

This time I spent a lot of time researching the recipe, looking at different variations, regional differences, the history of the dish and while also trying to justify why certain things are done in a scientific way.

Then I tabulated my findings and created one recipe out of all of them. I can’t really claim credit for my recipe nor do I know if my recipe is even authentic. All I know if that is was delicious and the chicken came out insanely tender.

I’ll comment the recipe below.

  • idunnololzOP
    7·
    22 days ago

    Chicken Korma

    Ingredients

    For marinade

    • 1 kg chicken thigh
    • ⅓ cup full-fat greek yogurt
    • ½ tsp turmeric
    • 1 tbsp minced garlic (~2 cloves)
    • 1 tbsp minced ginger
    • 1 - 2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder (less for less spicy)
    • 1 tsp salt

    Rest

    • 4 medium onions or 2 really large ones
    • ½ cup full-fat greek yogurt
    • 20 cashews (raw is preferred) (can also substitute some cashews for almonds)
    • 1 - 2 tbsp oil
    • ½ - 1 tsp garam masala
    • 3 tsp coriander powder
    • Water as needed.
    • Salt to taste
    • Cilantro (chopped)

    Aromatics (optional) (add as many or as few)

    • 2 cassia bark (cinnamon) sticks
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 8 cloves
    • 5 green cardamom
    • 2 black cardamom

    Instructions

    1. Marinate chicken with yogurt, turmeric, garlic, ginger, chili power and salt for 30 minutes to 2 hours max. Over 2 hours, chicken can get rubbery.
    2. In a pot over medium high heat, add oil, green cardamoms, onions and salt. Caramelize onions (~10 - 15 minutes). Onions should be brown but not burnt.
    3. Take pot off stove and allow onions to cool to room temperature.
    4. Using a blender, blend the onions, green cardamom and cashews into a paste. Add water as needed.
    5. Add oil to pan, along with aromatics (cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom). Then turn heat to medium - high. Cook until cloves puffs up (~30 seconds).
    6. Add chicken and cook for another 5 - 6 minutes until the marinade has broken up and chicken is opaque on the outside (doesn’t need to be cooked through yet).
    7. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion paste, yogurt, coriander powder. Add water as needed to achieve preferred thickness. 1 cup of water is a good average.
    8. Bring to boil. Add salt/pepper to taste. Simmer for ~20 - 30 minutes.
    9. Turn heat off, add garam masala. 
    10. Top with cilantro and serve with rice.
    • cybervseasEnglish
      8·
      22 days ago

      Indian person checking in. Yep this sounds like a pretty good recipe 🙂

      I wouldn’t substitute almonds though. The cashews are very important for that very creamy texture!

      Also a matter of taste but a little more garlic and ginger wouldn’t hurt.

      You add yogurt before boiling, and it didn’t break?

      • crapwittyname@feddit.uk
        5·
        22 days ago

        Non Indian curry lover checking in. Don’t kormas usually have a taste of coconut somewhere? Or is that just common rather than a necessary part of the dish.

        • cybervseasEnglish
          5·
          22 days ago

          Korma as I know it being a North Indian dish uses yogurt not coconut.

          Maybe some South Indian version uses coconut? It’s a big diverse country anything is possible.

        • idunnololzOP
          4·
          22 days ago

          From my research it is a North indian vs south indian thing.

          I chose to build the recipe around the north indian style. I also liked that lactic acid from the yogurt tenderizes the meat from a food science perspective.

        • FluidBeef@quokk.auEnglish
          3·
          22 days ago

          That’s probably the Aussies. They put coconut in literally everything, and most of the curries here are creamy ones too.

      • idunnololzOP
        3·
        22 days ago

        You add yogurt before boiling, and it didn’t break?

        Not sure what this question means. Could you please clarify?

        Also thank you for the affirmation 😃

        • FluidBeef@quokk.auEnglish
          5·
          22 days ago

          I think they mean it didn’t curdle. I tend to add the yoghurt toward the end of cooking because of this, particularly if you have lemon or lime in the pot.

          • CapuccinoCoretto
            3·
            21 days ago

            Yeah, good call out. Yoghurt based curries its best to bring the yoghurt in last, pre-warm it up to room temperature and cook it gently, no boil. Salt, acid and heat shocks can all curdle the yoghurt.