This chicken korma is a rich and creamy mild chicken curry with lots of flavour, made with coconut cream, yogurt and a small amount of ground almonds. Perfect for kids and adults to enjoy.
This korma recipe is all cooked in one pan with no marinading required and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
It took a little bit of experimentation to get this chicken korma recipe to taste exactly the way I wanted to it. Creamy, but not cloying, mild but not flavourless. I really wanted it to stand out as a curry the adults would love, as well as the kids, but also for it to be quick and simple.
This certainly won’t disappoint. No marinating needed, no removing bits from the pan and adding them back later – just adding ingredients to build up the flavours, then letting it simmer for a few minutes before serving.
📋 Ingredients
Coconut Cream – Coconut cream is thicker than coconut milk, with a higher fat content. You can use the little tins of coconut cream or use creamed coconut blocks mixed with a little hot water to make coconut cream. I use the coconut blocks for this recipe.
If you only have coconut milk, you can chill the tin overnight, then open the tin and use the solid portion at the top of the tin, leaving the liquid behind.
📺 Watch how to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- We start by softening onion in a pan in a ghee or oil, then adding chicken. It just needs to cook until it’s sealed as it will continue to cook along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Next in are the aromatics and spices – we’re talking garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, garam masala, a little mild chilli powder (leave it out if you want NO heat at all), turmeric, salt and white pepper. I also add in a little tomato puree (paste if you’re in the USA) to add richness and help really coat the chicken in the spices.
- Now we add in natural yogurt – use full fat as it’s less likely to split, coconut cream, a couple of tablespoons of ground almonds and a tiny bit of sugar for a little sweetness.
- Simmer for 6-8 minutes – by which time the chicken should be cooked, the stir in 4 tbsp of double (heavy) cream and serve.
🧑🍳 Pro Tip
You can replace the double cream (heavy cream) with single (half-fat) cream if you prefer, just be sure to turn off the heat before stirring it in.
Let’s just have a close look at that creamy curry one more time…
Pin this now to find it later
🍽️ What to serve it with
Serve topped with a little freshly torn coriander (cilantro).
🍲 More Milder Curries
? Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this Chicken Korma ahead, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day.
Reheat in a pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until the chicken is piping hot throughout.
You may need to add in a little water or cream to loosen when reheating, as the sauce will thicken.
Yogurt can sometimes be difficult to work with when freezing as it can sometimes split or go a little grainy on defrosting. However I’ve frozen and reheated this curry and it was fine.
The key here is to ensure you’re using full fat cream and full fat yogurt. Lower fat dairy products are much more likely to split/curdle.
Also ensure you cool the korma quickly and freeze as soon as possible after cooking.
Ideally freeze in portions so it defrosts quicker.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a pan until piping hot throughout. Be sure to heat on a medium heat (rather than a high heat) and stir often while re-heating.
You can double or half this recipe, sticking to the same ingredient ratios.It will take slightly longer for the chicken to cook if you’re doubling up.
Stay updated with new recipes!
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).
-
Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over a medium heat, until hot.
2 tbsp ghee or sunflower oil
-
Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
1 onion
-
Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is sealed.
3 chicken breasts
-
Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, white pepper, and tomato puree.
2 cloves garlic, 2 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1 1/2 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp mild chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp white pepper, 2 tbsp tomato puree
-
Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the chicken is coated.
-
Add the yogurt, coconut cream, ground almonds, and sugar.
120 ml (½ cup) full-fat plain/natural yogurt, 120 ml (½ cup) coconut cream, 2 tbsp ground almonds, 1 tbsp sugar
-
Stir everything together, bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 6-8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
-
Stir in the double (heavy) cream and turn off the heat.
60 ml (4 tbsp) double (heavy) cream
-
Serve the korma topped with fresh coriander (cilantro).
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
-
Serve with rice and/or chapati.
boiled rice and/or chapati
*Coconut cream
Coconut cream is thicker than coconut milk, with a higher fat content. You can use the little tins of coconut cream or use creamed coconut blocks mixed with a little hot water to make coconut cream. I use the coconut blocks for this recipe.
If you only have coconut milk, you can chill the tin overnight, then open the tin and use the solid portion at the top of the tin, leaving the liquid behind.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, you can make this curry ahead, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day.
Reheat in a pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until the chicken is piping hot throughout.
You may need to add in a little water or cream to loosen when reheating, as the sauce will thicken.
Can I freeze it?
Yogurt can sometimes be difficult to work with when freezing as it can sometimes split or go a little grainy on defrosting. However I’ve frozen and reheated this curry and it was fine.
The key here is to ensure you’re using full fat cream and full fat yogurt. Lower fat dairy products are much more likely to split/curdle.
- Also ensure you cool the korma quickly and freeze as soon as possible after cooking.
- Ideally freeze in portions so it defrosts quicker.
- Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a pan until piping hot throughout. Be sure to heat on a medium heat (rather than a high heat) and stir often while re-heating.
How to scale up and scale down this recipe
You can double or half this recipe, sticking to the same ingredient ratios.It will take slightly longer for the chicken to cook if you’re doubling up.
Nutritional information is per serving (this recipe serves 4) not including serving suggestions.
Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 887mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 439IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Chicken Korma recipe post was first published in May 2021 and updated in October 2024 for housekeeping.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.