
If cooking Indian food has ever intimidated you, we highly recommend starting with this Chicken Korma recipe! I LOVE Indian food and my household orders Indian takeout several times a month. Although I love it so much, I too find it intimidating with all the different spices and cooking techniques!
Our Chicken Korma recipe today is more of a British take vs the classic Indian (subcontinent) version – using cashews to achieve the rich and creamy sauce and omitting the yogurt and cream. This recipe is truly simple, packed with tons of delicious flavor and I really think this dish is even better the next day as the spices really get a chance to merry together!
How to Make Chicken Korma
Ingredients

Process
- Place chicken thigh pieces in a mixing bowl, add 1 ½ teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, a sprinkle of salt, and some cracked black pepper and toss together until chicken is well coated.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 ½ tablespoons butter. Add chicken and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.


- Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining butter to skillet. Add shallot and garlic and sauté 3 to 4 minutes.


- Add cashews and remaining spices and continue to sauté for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer mixture into a blender with 1 3/4 cups water and blend until smooth.


- Pour mixture back into skillet, stir in tomato paste and simmer over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Pour chicken into skillet with korma sauce and stir together. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until chicken has cooked through (if sauce begins to get too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is achieved).

Variations
- Toast your own whole cumin seeds and whole coriander, until fragrant. Then grind them in a spice blender or in a mortar and pestle . This will give you an even more aromatic and intense flavor!
- Swap the chicken out with chickpeas or cubed tofu or some cubed sirloin to switch up the protein.
- Omit the cilantro leaves garnish or swap it out for thinly sliced green onion/chives.

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Chicken Korma
- Eat it the next day for an optimal experience. Seriously. The thing that truly results in the best version of this recipe is reheating it the next day!
- If your sauce is too thick add a couple tablespoons of water to thin it out to the desired consistency.
- If your sauce is too thin, simmer it for a few extra minutes to thicken (it should be mentioned that the dish will thicken naturally as it sits).
More Delicious Indian Inspired Recipes You Will Love


Chicken Korma
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 1/2 teaspoons cumin, divided
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
garnish
- fresh cilantro leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place chicken thigh pieces in a mixing bowl, add 1 ½ teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, a sprinkle of salt, and some cracked black pepper and toss together until chicken is well coated.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 ½ tablespoons butter.
- Add chicken and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining butter to skillet. Add shallot and garlic and sauté 3 to 4 minutes. Add cashews and remaining spices and continue to sauté for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer mixture into a blender with 1 3/4 cups water and blend until smooth.
- Pour mixture back into skillet, stir in tomato paste and simmer over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Pour chicken into skillet with korma sauce and stir together. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until chicken has cooked through (if sauce begins to get too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is achieved).
- Pour chicken korma over a bed of steamed rice and top with fresh cilantro leaves. Serve.
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I need to make this! Should the chicken be cubed before adding it to the pan?
Would there be a good replacement for the cashews? Or would it be ok to not include them in the dish?
I love chicken korma! It is comfort food at its best because it is a little bit spicy but the nuts make it creamy and rich. My favourite.