30 minutes
Amu’s Chicken Korma
- Yield 4 servings
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David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, peeled, plus more for serving
- 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ⅓ cup whole-milk plain or Greek-style yogurt, plus more for serving
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces, skin removed, or 3 pounds bone-in chicken parts, skin removed
- ¼ cup ghee or neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, snapped in half
- 3 green cardamom pods, cracked
- 3 small green chiles, stemmed, plus more for serving
- White bread, mayonnaise, paratha or steamed rice, for serving
- Cucumber-Tomato Salad, for serving (optional)
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Nutritional Information
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Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1233 calories; 91 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 40 grams monounsaturated fat; 20 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 80 grams protein; 1370 milligrams sodium;
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. -
Preparation
- Cut onion in half, trim off the root, and thinly slice one half from root to stem. Set aside. Roughly chop the remaining onion half and purée in a blender, adding as little water as needed to blend until smooth. Pour into a small bowl. Set aside.
- In the same blender (no need to wash it out), purée ginger, garlic, yogurt and kosher salt, adding as little water as needed to blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Set aside. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, add to bowl with yogurt purée and toss with your hands to coat.
- In a medium Dutch oven, pot or karahi over medium-high heat, add ghee and reserved sliced onions, and cook, stirring often, until crisp and deeply browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. (The onions will continue to brown after removing from heat, so scoop them out of the pot when they are a shade lighter than the desired final color.) Leaving behind the fat, transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, and spread them out so they cool down quickly and don’t clump together.
- Add the onion purée, coriander, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and a big pinch of kosher salt to remaining ghee and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and aromatic, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add chicken, scraping in all the yogurt marinade, and stir to coat in onion paste. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken releases its liquid, about 10 minutes. Partly cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is falling off the bone, the sauce is thick and creamy, and the fat breaks out of the sauce, about 30 to 35 minutes. (You want it to be saucy but thick. Add water a splash as a time, if needed, while cooking.)
- Add green chiles, three-fourths of the reserved frizzled onions and more kosher salt to taste. Gently stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with remaining frizzled onions, and serve with paratha, rice, or as a sandwich by pulling the meat off the bone, dressing in the korma sauce, and placing between mayonnaise-slathered sliced of untoasted bread. Serve with Cucumber-Tomato Salad or additional raw onion, green chile and yogurt. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of water.
Cooking Notes
beau
I cardamom pod is roughly 1/6 teaspoon of ground cardamom
155 This is helpful
phoebe in MB
Delicious as written. The only change I’ll make next time is to use a mini food processor instead of a blender. Could use boneless chicken thighs.
58 This is helpful
Amita
If you google Indian green chili you'll see images of a long, dark green chili, also called finger chilis sometimes. Those are the kind we typically use in our cooking. They are available at Asian markets. Only use these if you are comfortable with spicy food, and still best to deseed them to bring down the level of heat.
56 This is helpful
Jose
Can I use ground cardamom if I don’t have the pods?
And how much should I put?
Thank you
55 This is helpful
tp
Please note that this is specifically a Bangladeshi korma and Sohla is Bengali-American so likely as authentic as they come! You may be more familiar with the Indian style of korma which is heavier, creamier, and sweeter.
34 This is helpful
Janet
Who cares if it's "authentic?" Make something that tastes good. The way I make something is authentic to me.
24 This is helpful
berekley
Sauce all burns off on this recipe, leaving an intense cardamon flavor on the chicken and certainly nothing to write home about. If I did it again I would use much more of the sauce ingredients except for salt and cardamon.
19 This is helpful
Drew
One of the best things I've ever made from this site. Make sure to splash frequently throughout the uncovered braising process; it will help preserve the sauce so it doesn't burn off.
18 This is helpful
jenninmv
This dish is a keeper! This got demolished during dinner. I amped up the spices per others’ suggestions. I used 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, slightly more than 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 big onion for purée and 1 small onions for frying, 6 cloves of garlic, 2 inch of ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cardamom pods and 2 bay leaves. If you’re expecting Mughal style korma (creamy and nutty) , this isn’t the dish. This is a Bangladeshi style Korma where the writer’s mom was from.
17 This is helpful
JaChia
Saved all the crispy onions for the topping and used leftover sautéed onions to mix into the sauce. Added about 1/4 cup chip broth to keep the sauce saucy. Used Serrano chiles and chopped them into the sauce. Deboned the chicken to serve over basmati rice. Served peas sautéed with leftover red peppers and minced garlic as a side. Delicious! And now Mark wants to try Indian food. :)
15 This is helpful
Sylvia
I made this yesterday with lamb shoulder. AMAZING!
12 This is helpful
thomas
So amazing. Cooked the recipe as written. Sohla is the best
10 This is helpful
erick
Very tasty; family loved it. I served it with chana masala. Since I have been baking sourdough, I served it with toasts and we wiped that bowl clean, sopping the bread in the leftover sauce!
The last time I made it, I doubled the yogurt/onions (both fried and pureed)/garlic/ginger, so that there was more sauce.
The key to this recipe is absolutely browning the onions, slices and puree, until deep golden brown. That and don't be tempted to add water, just a "splash" here and there.
10 This is helpful
Anne S
One trick I learned from an Indian restaurant was to put sliced onions in a heat proof bowl or cup, ad a little water, top with a paper towel and microwave for about 3 minutes to soften the onions completely, cool a bit before blending.
9 This is helpful
Patrick Lyster-Todd
You really need just the cardamom seeds - not the husks too. I'd also question whether a chicken korma is truly authentic with both coconut (ground or cream) and, especially, ground almonds. The amount of liquid (from the yoghurt) in this recipe also appears very mean: a good korma should be lush and creamy.
7 This is helpful
Steve K
Fantastic recipe. "It tastes homemade." Also adaptable and forgiving. I think key step is get the onion puree and spices good and brown before adding Chicken. Used "more" of everything 2nd time around with good result. Used 3 lb bone in thighs. One entire onion pureed. 1/2 to 3/4 cup yogurt (wanted more sauce). More garlic and ginger. Marinated overnight (no obvious difference). More of the listed spices. Added garam masala and cumin. Skipped frizzled onions - yummy but not necessary.
7 This is helpful
Jim in SF
This might be one of the best things I've ever made from NYT Cooking. I only had nonfat plain yogurt so I added that with a touch of sour cream. Otherwise I made it as written using a cut up whole chicken. I initially thought there wasn't enough sauce for cooking but the released juices really brought it all together. I never regret using whole cracked cardamom pods in recipes. I recommend using these if possible, versus the ground.
5 This is helpful
bippitybop
I do not know why I trusted this recipe over my truth-telling eyes. There is no sauce, which is what I love about korma. Monitor it constantly so it does not burn, and your reward will be relatively plain chicken. Sorry I’m pissy - RBG just died and I made this trying to have comfort food. Missed the mark.
4 This is helpful
Evelyn Estava
Wow. This one is a keeper. I used cubed boneless breast, which is what I had. Next time I will double the recipe. I made white rice and the cucumber tomato salad suggested--the perfect accompaniment. Thank you so much for posting this, Sohla!
4 This is helpful
Ashe
This was fabulous as written. I might make a full onion's worth of the puree next time, because I'm using a fairly large Dutch oven and it was spread thin. I had to watch it pretty carefully to keep it from burning. But it did come together into a very tasty paste; the sauce being drier allowed the flavors to concentrate and caramelize. I also used turkey breast instead of chicken, which made a nice variation.
4 This is helpful
Clare
I didn't have an onion on hand and made it without one. It turned out great, nonetheless. I used Indian mirchi (Rani brand) instead of green chiles.
3 This is helpful
Jen
Wow! This is so wildly good. The smell of the onion paste and spices cooking is ethereal. Marinated overnight and took the meat off the bones for serving. Added some roasted peppers and cilantro to the suggested salad. Big dollops of yogurt in hot pita. Wowza!
3 This is helpful
Barbara
Made this last night. Great flavor! I used bone-in chicken thigh, skinless. I crashed the cardamon, otherwise as written. A keeper.
2 This is helpful
carter
Amazing flavor. Not as “wet” as other chicken kormas I’ve made, maybe because it’s a Bangladeshi variation. Either way, this dish was so good as is. It’s the perfect combo of creamy, sweet and spicy. Thank you Sohla!!
2 This is helpful
Kurt
Loved this. As the recipe states, it’s milder than some other restaurant Indian dishes I’ve had. You can’t really taste the individual spices (except cardamom if you try), because they’re a lot of adjacent flavors and they merge. I think adding a bit more ghee and/or yogurt would work, depending on the desired sauciness. Next time I think I’ll try adding some additional Indian spices like cloves or turmeric.
2 This is helpful
Private Notes are notes that only you can see. .
For example: “Made for Alex's birthday. Next time double the recipe.”
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