Chicken Korma Recipe

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Korma Sauce Base

• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 0.5 cup plain full-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 0.25 cup raw cashews
• 0.5 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt

Spice Blend

• 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Finishing

• 1 serrano chili (optional, for heat)
• fresh spinach, for serving
• fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the Ingredients

1. Cut chicken breast into 1-2 inch chunks and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make the Korma Sauce

1. In a large heavy pan, saute onions in coconut oil for 15 minutes over medium-low heat until softened and starting to brown.
2. Add cumin seeds, ginger, and garlic and saute another 15 minutes or until onions are caramelized, golden brown and melty. Let cool for a few minutes.
3. Put onion mixture in a blender or food processor with yogurt, tomato paste, cashews, broth, and salt. Blend until mostly smooth or leave some texture if you prefer. The consistency will be thick. Set aside.

Cook the Chicken

1. In a small bowl, mix together Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon.
2. Add ghee and the spices to a pot or large pan. Stir over low heat for about a minute until fragrant.
3. Turn up to medium heat and add the chicken, stirring for a minute to coat all the pieces with the spices.
4. Add the serrano chilies and the korma sauce. Bring to a simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the sauce from sticking to the pan.
5. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add more broth or water and adjust seasoning as needed. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from heat.

Serve

1. Serve over fresh spinach or rice, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Notes

• You can use chicken thighs instead of breasts for a more flavorful and tender result.
• For a creamier sauce, substitute coconut cream or coconut milk for the cashews.
• Blanched almonds can be used in place of cashews if you have a nut preference.
• Adjust the serrano chilies based on your heat preference - omit entirely for a mild korma.