Chicken Korma (Creamy Almond Korma)
A mild, fragrant North Indian-style korma — silky, nutty sauce with tender chicken thighs, scented with cardamom and cinnamon. Comforting enough for a midweek dinner, elegant enough for guests.
This is a classic, mild chicken korma — think velvet-smooth, nutty sauce and soft chicken that practically melts. Korma is all about gentle flavours and a luxuriously thick, creamy sauce, so we keep the spice gentle and the technique careful.
Make it when you want cosy-but-still-special: family dinners, a relaxed weekend supper or to impress guests who like their curry mild and sophisticated. The little extra time spent caramelising onions and tempering the yogurt is worth every second — it’s the difference between ‘nice’ and ‘chefy’.
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 150 g plain full-fat natural yogurt
- 100 ml double cream
- 50 g ground almonds (almond meal)
- 2 large large onions, thinly sliced — ≈300 g total
- 4 cloves garlic — peeled
- 40 g fresh ginger — peeled and roughly chopped
- 30 ml ghee or vegetable oil
- 5 ml cumin seeds
- 4 pods green cardamom pods — lightly crushed
- 1 3 cm stick cinnamon stick
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml turmeric
- 5 ml Kashmiri chilli powder or mild chilli powder — use 0.25 tsp for very mild
- 15 ml tomato paste
- 200 ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 10 ml salt — adjust to taste
- 5 ml caster sugar or honey — balances acidity
- 5 ml garam masala — for finishing
- 30 ml fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped — for garnish
- 30 ml toasted almond slivers — for garnish
Equipment
- blender or food processor
- large heavy-based frying pan or Dutch oven
- measuring spoons and jug
- instant-read thermometer (optional)
Instructions
Make a ginger–garlic paste: blitz the garlic and chopped ginger in a small blender or food processor with 1 teaspoon of water until a smooth paste forms (about 1–2 minutes). Scrape down the sides.
Marinate the chicken: cut the thighs into bite-sized pieces (about 3–4 cm). In a bowl combine chicken, 100 g of the yogurt, 1/4 of the ginger–garlic paste, turmeric, 1/4 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp salt. Mix well, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
Make the almond-onion paste: reserve one-third of the sliced onions raw. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee/oil in a frying pan over medium and fry the remaining onions until deeply golden and caramelised (see critical note). Remove half of the caramelised onions and set aside to cool. Add the ground almonds to the remaining hot onions in the pan for 30 seconds to toast lightly, then transfer onion+almond to your blender with the reserved raw onions, tomato paste and 50 ml stock and blitz to a smooth paste (add a little more stock if needed).
Brown the marinated chicken in batches: wipe the pan clean, add the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee/oil and heat until shimmering. Cook the marinated chicken in a single layer (do not crowd) about 3–4 minutes per side until lightly browned but not cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Bloom the whole spices: in the same pan over medium heat, add cumin seeds, crushed cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and bay leaf and fry for 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Then add ground coriander and ground cumin and cook 30 seconds more.
Add the blended onion–almond paste to the spices and stir well. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then add the browned chicken back into the pan.
Temper the remaining yogurt: whisk the leftover 50 g yogurt smooth in a small bowl. Ladle 2–3 tablespoons of the hot sauce into the yogurt, whisking continuously, then pour the warmed yogurt back into the pan and stir (this prevents curdling). Add the remaining stock, sugar and the rest of the salt, bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and simmer gently for 18 minutes (or until chicken reaches 75°C on an instant-read thermometer and is tender). Stir once halfway. If sauce reduces too much, add small splashes of stock.
Finish the korma: reduce heat to low, stir in the double cream and garam masala and warm through for 2–3 minutes — do not boil. Taste and adjust salt, a squeeze of lemon if you like a lift.
Rest for 10 minutes off the heat to allow flavours to settle. Remove whole spices (cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cardamom husks if desired). Garnish with chopped coriander and toasted almond slivers and serve with rice or naan.
Tips
- Caramelise the onions patiently on medium–low; rushed onions mean a flat sauce. If they’re browning too quickly, reduce the heat.
- Temper yogurt by whisking in a ladle or two of hot sauce before adding — this prevents curdling and gives a silky finish.
- Make ahead: the korma tastes even better the next day. Cool, refrigerate up to 48 hours and gently reheat over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock if thickened.
- If the sauce splits while reheating, whisk in a tablespoon of cold yogurt or a splash of cream off heat to bring it back together.
- To toast almonds quickly: dry-fry in a small pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant, watching carefully so they don’t burn.
Substitutions
ground almonds → ground cashews, same weight
Stays closedouble cream → full-fat coconut cream (same quantity)
Noticeably differentboneless chicken thighs → chicken breast (same weight)
Noticeably differentplain full-fat yogurt → plant-based coconut yogurt (unsweetened)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 700
- Calories
- 43 g
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 550 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this nut-free?
Yes — swap ground almonds for 40 g sunflower seed paste or omit nuts and add 2 tbsp extra cream. Texture and flavour will be slightly different but still creamy.
How long should I marinate the chicken?
Minimum 30 minutes to tenderise; 2–8 hours is ideal. Overnight is fine for maximum flavour, but don’t marinate much longer than 24 hours in very acidic mixes.
Why did my sauce split and how do I fix it?
Sauce splits when dairy is heated too fast or at high temperature. Fix by removing from heat and whisking in a tablespoon of cold yogurt or cream gradually, or blend briefly to re-emulsify.
Can I use bone-in chicken?
Yes — increase simmer time by 10–15 minutes and cook until the meat is tender and reaches safe doneness. Brown the pieces well first for best flavour.
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