Get ready for an unbeatable curry night with this gorgeously mild, creamy chicken korma. No need to marinate the chicken ahead of time, all made in one pot and it’s ready in 30 minutes. A fab family-friendly fakeaway idea that’s perfect for meal prep too.
Give me a warming, creamy bowl of curry and I am one happy girl! There’s just something so cozy and comforting about a good curry, and this one is pretty special. Juicy chicken thighs and a creamy, lightly spiced sauce… what’s not to love?
Korma can often be overly sweet and cloying, which I really wanted to avoid here. It uses coconut milk for a hint of sweetness, without having to add any sugar. This version is wonderfully creamy – without feeling heavy – thanks in large part to the yogurt. It’s also SUPER mild, so it’s perfect for kids and for anyone who isn’t a big fan of anything too spicy.
This is a brilliant recipe for busy weeknights because you don’t need to marinate the chicken ahead of time, and everything can be made in one pot, in just 30 minutes. All the ingredients are cupboard staples – or easy enough to pick up at a regular grocery store – and it can be made ahead of time if you like. I love serving the curry over fluffy rice, ideally with either garlic naan or cheesy naan for a proper fakeaway night in.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs. I much prefer thighs to breasts in a curry – they’re juicier and won’t dry out in the sauce. Go for skinless and boneless thighs for ease, and always use free-range chicken.
- Yogurt. It’s SUPER important to use full-fat yogurt here. If you use a low-fat version, you’ll find that it splits and curdles in the pan with the heat. This will leave you with a gritty sauce, rather than the smooth and creamy one you’re after.
- Coconut milk. Korma can be a very sweet curry (which I don’t love) and I find coconut milk provides just enough subtle sweetness without it being too much, or having to add sugar. It’s not a huge quantity so doesn’t taste overly coconutty either.
- Spices. You’ll need ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, garam masala and chilli flakes. Skip the chilli flakes if you’re worried about heat, but it really is a very mild curry, even with the chilli.
- Ground almonds. A staple in a korma, ground almonds bring a nice rich nuttiness and texture to the curry. You can skip them if you like for a nut-free version.
How to make it
Cook your chicken for a couple of minutes on each side, just to ‘seal’ it. The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked through at this point as it’ll cook in the sauce later on. Add your spices and stir them through the chicken, then remove it from the pan and set it aside.
Add the diced onion and cook until soft, then add the garlic, ginger and tomato paste, before adding the chicken back into the pan. Then add the ground almonds, yogurt and coconut milk and let the curry simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened slightly.
Serve it with fluffy steamed rice, with some garlic naan or cheese naan on the side for a proper, take-out style curry night.
Got a question?
Yes! Like most curries, this one gets even better with time as the flavours can really meld. It’ll keep well in the fridge, in a covered container for 4 days and you can reheat it in the microwave, or on the stovetop over medium heat.
You want to use full-fat yogurt here. Use Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt, but if you use a low-fat variety, you’ll find that it will split and curdle in the hot pan as the korma simmers.
You definitely can if you prefer – I find that thighs are more forgiving (less risk of them drying out) more breasts are great too.
This is a very mild curry, so it’s great for kids. It just has a lovely, warming heat to it, without it being typically spicy. The recipe does use chilli flakes so you can skip them if you’re worried.
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One Pot, 30 Minute Chicken Korma
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Get ready for an unbeatable curry night with this gorgeously mild, creamy chicken korma. No need to marinate the chicken ahead of time, all made in one pot and it’s ready in 30 minutes. A fab family-friendly fakeaway idea that’s perfect for meal prep too.
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola, rapeseed or similar)
- 1lb/500g skinless, boneless free-range chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated (or use 1 teaspoon ginger paste)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup ground almonds
- 1 cup full-fat yogurt
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- A handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Cook your rice. Add 1 cup of rice to a pot you have a lid for, then add 1 2/3 cups water and a big pinch of salt. Set the pot over high heat, and when you see the water looking a bit foamy, turn the heat right down, and pop the lid on. Leave it there for 12 minutes and then remove it from the heat (still with the lid on) and let it sit until you’re ready to serve.
- Cook the chicken. Slice your chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, then set a large, high-sided pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add the chicken. Spread it out so it’s (ideally) on one layer for even cooking. Let the chicken cook for a few minutes on each side. You don’t need to cook the chicken through completely at this point – it will finish cooking in the sauce later. Add the cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, chilli flakes and salt, and mix it through the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set it on a plate for now.
- Add onion and aromatics. To the same pan, add your diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the onions start to soften and change colour (they’ll look more see-through). At this point, add the crushed garlic and ginger and stir through the onion. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and stir through the onions and garlic for another minute.
- Return chicken to pan. Add the chicken back into the pan, along with 1/4 cup of ground almonds, 1 cup of yogurt and 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Stir through the chicken, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes to let the sauce thicken up slightly. Taste, and season with a little more salt if you like.
- Garnish and serve. Remove the lid from your rice pot, then use a fork to fluff up the grains. Divide the rice between plates, then top with the curry. Scatter over the cilantro leaves to serve if you like. Garlic naan or cheesy stuffed naan are also excellent on the side.
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The curry keeps really well for 4 days, stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, or over medium heat on the stovetop. You can also freeze it – I like to do so in individual portions in ziplock bags, for easy and quick defrosting.
INGREDIENT NOTES: You must use full-fat yogurt here. If you don’t, your yogurt will split and curdle from the heat and you won’t have the lovely smooth, creamy result you’re after. You can swap the coconut milk for coconut cream, or use heavy cream.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: I often like to stir through a couple of big handfuls of spinach, or chopped broccolini about five minutes before the curry is ready.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: fakeaways
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 350g
- Calories: 532
- Sugar: 5.5g
- Sodium: 1254.4mg
- Fat: 17.8g
- Saturated Fat: 10.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48.2g
- Fiber: 2.2g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 92mg
Keywords: chicken korma, korma curry
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