Homemade Chicken Korma Curry

Chicken korma a delicious mildly spiced Indian Curry featuring perfectly cooked chunks of chicken thigh in a thick and creamy yoghurt sauce.

Turmeric, garam masala and a pinch of chilli powder lead the way on the spices, before a tadka featuring coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon is added at the end.

Nobody Puts Curry in the Korma.

The chicken korma is a curry with a but of a bad rep in the world I grew up in. Among many things it was called a curry for people who do not like curry!

The reason for this is that it was the item on the menu that evolved into a dish that a waiter could recommend to British diners that would not be too “spicy”.

It is a long way from a garlic chilli chicken, Chicken Rogan Josh, chicken Ceylon and Beef Vindaloo!

My version is NOT that korma! My perfect chicken korma is light and fragrant with a thick tart yoghurt “gravy”.

In many ways it is similar to a chicken passanda.

My influence for this chicken korma recipe came from a recipe I stumbled on by Atul Kochhar.

The first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star and the owner of a restaurant that I consider to be one of the best I that have ever eaten in, ‘Benares’!

This recipe reduces the amount of cream usually used and sticks with yoghurt. This adds a delicious tartness to the fragrant spices in the silky korma sauce.

My recipe also does not use coconut milk, a common and relatively modern addition to chicken korma recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

My sauce has started to split what did I do wrong?

There are two things that usually increase the risk of this chicken korma sauce splitting or separating.

The first is using low-fat yoghurt, this increases the instability of the dish. The second is boiling the sauce too hard, keep it on a gentle simmer for best results.

Can I rescue a separated sauce?

Yes, you may be able to bring it back together so long as you catch the dish early enough.

Remove the dish from the heat immediately and quickly whisk in some high fat (30-40%) cream or half and egg yolk.

Can I use low-fat yoghurt?

As I mentioned above, high fat yoghurt is inherently less stable and runs a much higher risk of the sauce separating.

You can whisk flour into the yoghurt which will stabilise it a little, the amount will really depend on the fat content of the yoghurt. I would personally advise against it.

Can I use chicken breast rather than chicken thigh?

Yes, this chicken korma is just as good with chicken breast as it is with chicken thighs because of the mild spicing.

Serving Suggestions.

Soooo, its a curry, a curry with a nice thick “gravy”… so that means only one thing if you ask me, and that is naan bread!

Although a chapati or roti would be a perfectly acceptable bread element for this recipe.

I have mentioned before that I have no qualms about going full carb overload. As a result, I usually go with naan bread and boiled rice with my chicken korma.

But there are other options, both Bombay potatoes and aloo methi pair really well with the thick and creamy sauce.

If you wanted to go with greens then these Indian Green Beans would also work perfectly.

Never let it be said again that the chicken korma is for people that do not like curry!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• 30cm or 12″ frying pan or skillet.
• 20cm or 8″ frying pan or skillet.
• Mini blender.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Weighing scales and or measuring jug, cups and spoons.
• Small sieve.
• Stirring and serving spoons.