Easy Chicken Korma

Easy Chicken Korma

Here's an easy version of the classic Indian take-out dish. Although I am one, Spouse is not a big fan of the spicier hot curry dishes, she prefers a much milder version and chicken Korma with its delicately spiced flavors without a lot of heat is her favorite.

It is a curry dish that we often make in addition to other Indian dishes to please everyone at the table. As with all curry recipes, you can always make it your own by adjusting any of the spices to suit your taste. Here I've grilled the chicken on the backyard gas grill for extra flavor but you can also broil or pan sear it instead before adding it to the curry to simmer. I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs because for my taste, they have much more favor than chicken breast meat. You can of course, use boneless skinless chicken breasts but they will only need to simmer in the sauce for about half the time that chicken thighs do,

For me, the flavor from ground nuts really makes the dish in a good korma. I love the toasted ground almonds in this recipe but you could easily use ground, unsalted, toasted cashews or even hazelnuts as well. No matter what nuts I use, I always like to garnish the plate with toasted cashews anyway, just because they are my favorite and they add great flavor and crunch to the dish. We usually serve korma with steamed jasmine rice and fresh naan. Find our easy homemade Naan recipe here.

Serves 6-8

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts, see note above)
• 2 tsp mild yellow curry powder
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Drizzle the chicken with the oil and sprinkle on the spices, salt and pepper. Massage into the meat and cover, leaving to marinate for at least a couple of hours or overnight.

Grill the chicken until fully cooked but not dried out. Set aside.

For the sauce begin by pureeing together:

• 2 white onions 
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 cup water

In a large saucepan heat

• 3 tbsp olive oil (you can use clarified butter or ghee if you prefer)

Add the pureed onion mixture and cook over medium heat for a few minutes stirring constantly. Add:

• 4 large tomatoes, diced small
• 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger root
• 1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/2 small red chili, minced (more or less to taste)
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 tsp mild yellow curry powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• pinch saffron (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Simmer slowly for about 30-40 minutes then add the chicken and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and/or naan.