About The Author
Hello! From Chuchura (in Hooghly District) and a foodie, I created this blog with a mission to preserve the food of the land; with a message to encourage and promote clean and real food. I hope you enjoy and gain out of this blog, happy reading!
Looking forward to read and hear your feedback.
An easy chicken korma recipe awaits you, but if you are someone who likes to understand the culture behind the dish, you must read on.
Korma or qorma is a dish that involves braising the meat in ghee on high heat, followed by cooking with spices and yogurt on a low heat. The dish has Turkish origins
Facts on Chicken Korma
To appreciate a good korma, you must take some interest in the many fact and myth.
Usage of the word ‘Qorma’
The word ‘Korma’ & ‘Qorma’ is used interchangably in this post
Did the Mughals Bring Korma to India?
One of the many myths with a korma or qorma is its origin. The Mughals did not bring Qorma to India. Literary works from the early Mughal era does not talk about a korma.
I got a chance to look at Nushka-e-Shahjahani which is a culinary masterpiece from the time of Shah Jahan. It contains dozens of recipes on kalia (or qalia) and do piaza; but nothing on qorma.
Hence it can be safely concluded that korma was invented in India and was influenced by the kalias and do piazas. It was only towards the initial years of Mughal sunset, did the korma make its presence felt in the kitchens.
Are Almonds Compulsory In a Korma?
Almonds were not available with the Mughals and it came in India only with the British. It is impossible that a korma had almonds when it was first prepared in the Indian kitchens.
Nuts were an integral part of korma, and chironjee and ground nuts were normally used. Since chironjee is more expensive, chefs and restaurants started using almonds and cashews recently.
Are Qormas Spicy?
I was suprised to learn that a qorma is not supposed to be spicy.
A healthy dish that we Indians made spicier and unhealthy.
The flavors of a qorma are mostly from the meat and hence one of the requirements of a good qorma is to ensure that the spices should not overpower the flavor of the meat.
Cooking a chicken korma is not complex. Maintaining a balance in flavors is gained through experience.
Not Just Goat Meat
During the yesteryears, people would cook usually a qorma using goat meat. Before you attach aristocracy and wealth to it, let me remind you a fact.
Mutton or goat meat was more affordable than chicken was. Chicken was expensive and hence a chicken korma was reserved for special occasions like a guest visiting the house.
Chicken only became inexpensive from the 1970s with revolution in poultry industry. And today more people cook a korma with chicken, than with mutton and goat meat.
Can a Qorma Have Vegetables?
Above I have referred to the fact that the korma was influenced by the Qaliya.
In Mughal culinary works, a qalia contains vegetables. It is thus not a surprise to find a qorma that will contain vegetables.
An Interesting Anecdote
As per a report in Scroll, n 1925, Nawab Jafar Hussain – a descendent of the nawabi aristocrats of Lucknow – came across a cook named Mohammad Hussain who belonged to a family of cooks from the royal period.
When the Nawab sahib asked him what he could cook, he replied ‘Qorma and chapati. Besides this, what else is there in food? I will feed you only this. I do not know how to cook anything else’.
Nawab sahib immediately employed him and he stayed with him until his death in 1931. Nawab Shah later pointed out – “In the period of approximately five years, every day, for both meals, he cooked qorma and I never felt even a twinge of monotony.”
Types of Korma
There is no single recipe of a qorma. The easy chicken korma recipe I have below is a basic version of the dish. Over centuries, a lot of variations have happened with the dish.
Personally speaking, while studying and reading on food I have learnt and experienced that simple food is good food – in terms of flavor, in terms of health.
The first difference you would notice in a korma is based on which part of the country you are.
In the North, the korma contains curd and nuts. Later, this was refined and cream was added and this is what you call as ‘shahi korma’ today. The shahi korma was first prepared in Awadh. Note that turmeric was not used initially.
In Kashmir, the qorma changed its nature. Turmeric was used and along with it fennel and tamarind was added. Even with contrasting ingredients, the balance in flavor was maintained.
When you drive down to the South of India, the korma, also referred to as kurma is cooked with coconut.
These are the broad variations in a qorma, however, every region has it’s own nuance. Just like the qalia. For example, the Rampuri qorma which is a legendary recipe that I will write about one of these days.
What Should a Chicken Korma Recipe Contain?
Apart from the chicken meat, an easy chicken korma recipe must have the following ingredients –
- Ghee
- Brown onions
- Curd that is well-whisked
- Nuts – Traditionally used are chironjee and ground nuts, you may also use cashews and almonds
- Coriander powder – Freshly ground and lots of them are needed
- Whole spices – Mostly cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and pepper in small quantities
What Not to Add to Your Chicken Korma
A traditional chicken korma does not contain the following, and do not trust people who say these can be added.
- Tomato
- Cumin Powder
- Cream – Mandatory if you cook a shahi komra
- Butter
Broiler Meat & Country Fowl – An Important Note Before You Dive Into the Easy Chicken Korma Recipe
Most of us today have easy access to broiler meat. This recipe also assumes that you would cook using broilers.
For the same reason, I have mentioned that you need to separate (and take off the wok or degh) the pieces of meat before adding in the nut paste and spices. This is because, broiler meat cooks easily and cooking the nut paste and spices take time. Chances are higher that meat will disintegrate by the time the korma is completely cooked.
If you are using country fowl, you need not separate the meat pieces since it takes longer for the meat to cook.
Traditionally the meat is never separated and is cooked together along with the nuts, curd and spices.
Here’s an easy Bengali-style chicken korma recipe.
Remember, just like the Kolkata style chicken biryani (and you must read the beautiful story) had it’s origin in Awadh, the korma in Bengal is also influenced by the region.
Note
The equipment & ingredient quantity provided in this recipe is to assist you in cooking this dish. Feel free to experiment with your ingredients. Remember that we all have different set, size & shape of kitchen tools in our pantry.
Equipment
- Wok or handi or degchi
- Spatula
- Mixer-grinder or sil-bata
- Knife and chopping board
- Bowls
Ingredients
- 750 g chicken curry-cut
- 3 tsp mustard oil
- 3 tsp ghee
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 10 pc almond or cashews
- 6 tsp coriander seeds or 3 tsp coriander powder
- 200 g curd or yoghurt
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder or byadgi red chili powder, optional
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 cup water
- salt to taste
- 2-3 drops kewra water optional
For Brown Onion Paste
- 1/2 cup mustard oil
- 2 pc big-size onions 5 pc small onions or 4 pc medium size onion
- water to help grind to a fine paste
For the Garam Masala in Easy Chicken Korma Recipe
- 10 pc peppercorns/black pepper or 1 tsp pepper powder
- 5 pc cardamom
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 5 pc clove
- 1 pinch nutmeg powder
- 1 pc mace
Instructions
Make the Nut Paste
- Soak the almond overnight
- Before cooking, peel the skin and grind to a fine paste using a mixer grinder (or sil batta). You may need to add in a couple of tsp of water for a smooth paste
- If you want to cook the chicken korma now and do not have time to soak the almond, you may use cashews (same quantity) instead. For this, boil the cashews in water for 5 minutes and grind to a fine paste
Make the Brown Onion Paste for Bengali Chicken Korma
- Thinly slice the onions
- In a wok, on a medium flame, add the mustard oil
- When the mustard oil starts to smoke, add in the sliced onions and fry till they turn light brown
- Transfer the brown onions to a grinder along with a couple of table spoons of water and grind to a fine paste
Prepare the Garam Masala Powder
- In a wok, on a low flame, toast the spices mentioned under "For the Garam Masala in Easy Chicken Korma Recipe" for 20-30 seconds. Continuously stir to avoid burning
- Transfer this to a grinder and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside
- If you do not have the whole spices, you may use just 1 tsp of the store-bought garam masala
Prepare the Coriander Powder
- In a wok, on a low flame, toast the corainder seeds mentioned under "For the Garam Masala in Easy Chicken Korma Recipe" for 45-50 seconds. Continuously stir to avoid burning
- Transfer this to a mixer-grinder, and grind to powder. Keep aside
Cook the Easy Chicken Korma
- The entire cooking happens on a medium flame
- In the same wok where you fried the onions, add the remaining oil and allow it to smoke
- Add the ghee
- Add in the chicken pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes
- To this add the ginger garlic paste and saute for another 3-4 minutes
- Add in the nut paste and cook till you see the oil separating. When the oil separates, it means the nuts have cooked
- Now separate the chicken pieces in bowl/container and in the same wok add in the coriander powder
- Saute till oil separates
- Add in the curd, kashmiri (or byadgi) red mirchi powder and turmeric powder. Keep stirring to prevent the curd or yoghurt from curdling
- When the oil separates, add in the garam masala powder
- Add the salt and the brown onion paste
- Pour in 2 cups of water
- Once the gravy comes to a boil, add in the chicken pieces and cook till the chicken is well done
- Taste for salt and adjust if needed
- Switch off the flame, and add a couple of drops of kewra water. Cover and allow to rest for sometime
- Serve hot
Notes
- It is important to be vigilant while frying the onions. Fry the onions only till they are light brown and immediately take them out and keep aside. If you fry any more, they will turn black after sometime and impart a bitter taste to your korma
- Notice that broiler meat is used in this recipe. Hence it has been separated before cooking the nut paste. If you are using country fowl or desi murgi, you do not need to remove the meat before cooking the nuts
- This recipe uses more fat, you may use other types of oil. However, mustard oil and ghee are healthy fats. More information on healthy cooking oil
- You may use store bought garam masala if you do not have whole spices. However, this would compromise on the flavor
- Nut paste is added in the beginning because it takes longer to cook
- Adding kewra water is optional, as many people do not like the aroma/smell of it
Reference
The real story of how qorma became the king of Indian curries
HiSamrat, I have just stumbled across your website and the foodies you have posted there look very appealing. I am especially interested in a chicken curry dish that I only saw once, but not since. Please forward this dish with the recipes and the ingredients necessary to prepare it – we are having good friends visiting us on Saturday, and my wife and I would like nothing better than to prepare this for the day.
And another thing, is there a suitable dissert to have after this dinner? That would be a blessing to all of us.
Kind regards,
Everett Perry
Ps. You can expect me to write to you now and again requesting for more recipes!