My homemade korma paste is the secret formula for this restaurant-style chicken korma recipe.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
- About Korma Curry
- Homemade Korma Curry Paste
- Curry Paste Video
- My Tried and True Tips
- How To Make Korma Curry
- Serving Suggestion
- Chicken Korma Recipe
About Korma Curry
Korma is a mildly spiced thick gravy widely popular in the Indian subcontinent. It is a typical Mughlai-style curry. Unlike other Indian curries, korma has a subtle flavour of spices, creamy gravy, and a rich, tantalizing aroma. Usually, turmeric and red chilli are not used in a korma gravy.
Since I learned this chicken korma recipe, there has been no turning back. It compliments almost every Indian flatbread perfectly and is always the show-stopper of my dinner parties.
You will also find a few finger-licking good, instant pot-friendl y korma recipes in my debut cookbook – The 100 Best Curry .
Homemade Korma Curry Paste
Did you know that only 6 ingredients ( onion, green chilli, ginger, garlic, ghee, and curd ) are required to make korma curry paste?
This homemade korma masala will satisfy all your indulgent curry cravings without hassle. Apart from making chicken korma, this curry paste can be used for marinating meats or making vegetarian korma. You can store it for one week in the refrigerator.
Curry Paste Video
My Tried and True Tips
- Chicken: T he best choice would be bone-in chicken pieces . The chicken bones lend a delicious flavour to the curry. You can use a combination of boneless chicken thigh and the leg piece.
- Marination: It is a key step in the chicken korma recipe. I prefer marinating the chicken for 6 – 8 hours or overnight. Rub the marinate nicely over the chicken and massage the chicken pieces for 5 – 10 minutes with the marinade.
- Curry Paste: A good korma curry gets its texture, taste, and aroma from the fried onion korma masala. Hence, make the masala at home or use a good quality readymade korma paste.
- Searing: Fry the marinated chicken pieces for 10 – 15 minutes or till they are pale white over low heat. Do not rush this process. It ensures that the chicken pieces are juicy.
- Gravy: The chicken korma has a luscious, creamy gravy. Hence, do not add too much water.
How To Make Korma Curry
Step 1) Marinade the chicken pieces in a thick curd, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and garam masala mixture for 5 – 6 hours.
Step 2) Follow my korma curry paste recipe to make the masala at home. You can marinate the chicken and prepare curry paste a day before making the chicken korma.
Step 3) Heat ghee in a heavy bottom casserole. Add the bay leaf and the crushed cardamom pods. Cook for a few seconds to release the aroma of spices.
Step 4) Add the korma masala, marinated chicken pieces, and marinade. Fry over low heat till they turn pale white and tender. This usually takes 10 – 15 minutes.
Step 5) Season with salt, green chillies, and garam masala.
Step 6) Cover and cook the chicken over low heat till the pieces are 80% cooked. To make little gravy add ½ Cup of water. Simmer uncovered till it thickens and the chicken is fully cooked. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
Garnish Chicken Korma with fresh coriander leaves.
Serving Suggestion
Chicken Korma is best enjoyed with paratha, naan , or roomali/tandoori roti. The creamy gravy compliments most of the Indian flatbread perfectly.
However, you can serve chicken korma with basmati rice, jeera rice , or saffron rice.
More Indian Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Pulao
- Butter Chicken
- Mughlai Egg Curry
- Sunday Chicken Curry
- Punjabi Egg Curry Masala
- Chicken Chettinad Masala
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 kilogram skinless, bone-in chicken pieces
Ingredients for marinade
- ▢ ½ Cup thick curd ( get recipe )
- ▢ 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste ( get recipe )
- ▢ 1 teaspoon garam-masala ( see recipe )
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Gravy
- ▢ 1 Cup korma curry paste see recipe
- ▢ ¼ Cup ghee
- ▢ 1 bay leaf
- ▢ 2 – 3 green cardamom
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ 2 – 3 green chillies
- ▢ ½ teaspoon garam-masala see recipe
- ▢ ½ Cup water
Instructions
- Clean, wash, and pat dry the chicken pieces. Prick the chicken pieces a few times with a fork.
- Combine curd, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and garam masala in a bowl. Mix nicely to make a smooth lump-free paste.
- Add chicken pieces to the marinade paste. Rub the chicken pieces with the marinade nicely. Keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 5 – 6 hours.
- Prepare the korma curry paste following my recipe .
- To make chicken korma, heat ghee in a heavy bottom casserole. Add the bay leaf and the crushed cardamom pods. Cook for a few seconds to release the aroma of spices.
- Now add the marinated chicken pieces, korma curry paste along with the marinade. Fry over low heat till they turn pale white and tender. This usually takes 10 – 15 minutes.
- Season with salt, green chillies, and the garam masala. Cover and cook the chicken over low heat till the pieces are tender.
- To make little gravy add ½ Cup of water. Simmer the curry uncovered over low heat till it thickens. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Garnish Chicken Korma with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve Chicken Korma warm with naan or tandoori roti.
Recipe Notes:
- Try to use the thick and fresh curd for marinating the chicken. Avoid curd with a sour flavor.
- Whisk the curd and other ingredients nicely before marinating the chicken.
- Water is always added towards the end of the process when the chicken pieces are almost cooked. After adding water do not cook the chicken pieces for too long.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Chicken Korma Recipe
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram skinless, bone-in chicken pieces
Ingredients for marinade
- ½ Cup thick curd ( get recipe )
- 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste ( get recipe )
- 1 teaspoon garam-masala ( see recipe )
- 1 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Gravy
- 1 Cup korma curry paste see recipe
- ¼ Cup ghee
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 - 3 green cardamom
- Salt to taste
- 2 - 3 green chillies
- ½ teaspoon garam-masala see recipe
- ½ Cup water
Instructions
- Clean, wash, and pat dry the chicken pieces. Prick the chicken pieces a few times with a fork.
- Combine curd, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and garam masala in a bowl. Mix nicely to make a smooth lump-free paste.
- Add chicken pieces to the marinade paste. Rub the chicken pieces with the marinade nicely. Keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 5 - 6 hours.
- Prepare the korma curry paste following my recipe .
- To make chicken korma, heat ghee in a heavy bottom casserole. Add the bay leaf and the crushed cardamom pods. Cook for a few seconds to release the aroma of spices.
- Now add the marinated chicken pieces, korma curry paste along with the marinade. Fry over low heat till they turn pale white and tender. This usually takes 10 - 15 minutes.
- Season with salt, green chillies, and the garam masala. Cover and cook the chicken over low heat till the pieces are tender.
- To make little gravy add ½ Cup of water. Simmer the curry uncovered over low heat till it thickens. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Garnish Chicken Korma with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve Chicken Korma warm with naan or tandoori roti.
Notes
- Try to use the thick and fresh curd for marinating the chicken. Avoid curd with a sour flavor.
- Whisk the curd and other ingredients nicely before marinating the chicken.
- Water is always added towards the end of the process when the chicken pieces are almost cooked. After adding water do not cook the chicken pieces for too long.
Nutrition
Kadai Paneer is a spicy, vegetarian stir fry made with paneer (cottage cheese), onion, tomato, and peppers.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
- The Secret Kadai Masala
- My Tried and True Tips
- Watch Kadai Paneer Video
- Serving Suggestion
- Kadai Paneer Recipe
Kadhai paneer is one of my top five favourite paneer dishes.
Because it requires little effort, comes together quickly, and best of all – the distinctive spicy-smoky flavor of the masala infused with the pieces of tender paneer makes you go clean the bowls one after the other.
The name Kadai Paneer comes from the commonly used cooking utensil in India – kadhai (wok).
It is a dish loved by meat-eaters and vegetarians alike and one that almost every Indian family adores. Unlike some other paneer recipes , kadhai paneer does not require a hefty preparation, nor does it need an extensive span of time to get ready.
Difference between Kadhai paneer and shahi paneer
As the name suggests, shahi paneer is a typical Mughlai dish with a rich and creamy texture. Whereas, the kadhai paneer has a more Dhaba like rustic appeal. The shahi paneer or paneer butter masala has a hint of sweetness to it while the Kadai paneer is just the opposite -full of bold flavors.
But both of these paneer dishes can be enjoyed with naan , paratha, or tandoori roti.
The Secret Kadai Masala
The taste of restaurant-style Kadai paneer comes from a special spice mix known as Kadai masala. I have tried tons of packaged kadhai paneer masala, but none of them taste better than the homemade one.
Unlike, other spice powders Kadai masala has only five whole spices – Kashmiri red chili, peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel. Dry roast the spices till aromatic, next, coarsely ground. Store the leftover spice mix in an airtight container at room temperature, and use it to season kadai mushroom masala or kadhai chicken.
My Tried and True Tips
- Soft Paneer: I’m going to take a moment here to speak about how important the paneer is, to the Kadhai paneer recipe. Soak paneer in lukewarm water for 5 – 6 minutes before adding to the curry. It will be soft and mouth-melting.
- Do not over-cook: The dish requires you to retain the crunchy texture of the vegetables. It is best to chop and keep everything ready by your side before you start making the karahi paneer. It is a crime to over-cook capsicum, onion, and tomato in kadhai paneer.
- Must add ingredients: The dried fenugreek leaves and the thinly sliced ginger strips are the two must-add finishing ingredients for perfect kadhai paneer. These two create some kinda magic in the final dish making it lip-smacking.
- Kadhai Paneer Gravy: If you want to make Kadai paneer gravy, add approximately 1 Cup of water after frying tomato masala and allow it to simmer for 5 – 10 minutes before adding paneer.
Watch Kadai Paneer Video
Serving Suggestion
Serve karahi paneer with piping hot naan smeared with ghee and pickled onion for a perfect Indian restaurant-style meal at home.
Store leftover Kadai Paneer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days. Reheat in a microwave or a pan on the stovetop.
The leftover Kadhai Paneer masala can be used as a sandwich or wrap stuffing. Or you can make delicious paneer pulao using the leftover vegetables and paneer.
More Paneer Recipes
- Chilli Paneer
- Paneer Curry
- Paneer Jalfrezi
- Achari Paneer Tikka
- Homemade Masala Paneer
- Dhaba Style Matar Paneer
- Restaurant Style Paneer Makhani
Ingredients
Ingredients for Kadai Masala:
- ▢ 4 whole kashmiri red chilli
- ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ▢ 3 tablespoon coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya)
- ▢ ½ teaspoon peppercorns (sabut kali mirch)
Ingredients for Kadai Paneer:
- ▢ 500 gram paneer (cottage cheese)
- ▢ 1 Cup fine chopped onion
- ▢ 2 medium-size tomato (make paste in mixer)
- ▢ 1 Cup diced capsicum
- ▢ `1 Cup diced onion
- ▢ 1 Cup diced tomato (remove the pulp and seeds)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon thinly sliced ginger
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ▢ 2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- ▢ 4 tablespoon mustard oil (sarson oil)
- ▢ Salt to taste
Instructions
How To Make Kadai Masala:
- Grind the roasted spices into a coarse powder in a mixer grinder. Transfer to a bowl and set aside till required.
How To Make Kadai Paneer:
- Heat the mustard oil in a wok/kadhai over medium flame. Once the oil starts fuming reduce the flame to low.
- Add the chopped onion and fry over low heat till onion turn light brown in color.
- Next, add the tomato paste along with spices (turmeric, red chili powder, salt). Stir to combine and fry till the oil separates from the masala.
- Now add the paneer cubes, diced capsicum, onion, tomato and the kadai masala prepared earlier. Mix nicely.
- Add approximately ¼ cup of water to the kadai paneer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3 – 5 minutes for paneer to soften and absorb the flavor of spices.
- Sprinkle crushed kasuri methi and ginger strip. Combine and the kadai paneer is ready to serve.
- Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves just before serving. Serve Kadai Paneer warm with Naan .
Recipe Notes:
- Do not cook Kadai paneer for too long after adding diced capsicum, onion, and tomato. Otherwise, vegetables will lose the crunchiness.
- Adjust the amount of red chili powder according to your taste as the Kadai masala is very spicy.
- I highly recommend using mustard oil for cooking kadai paneer. It gives a unique pickle like flavor and aroma to the dish.
- If you want to make, kadai paneer gravy , add approximately 1 Cup of water after frying tomato masala and allow it to simmer for 5 – 10 minutes before adding paneer.
- To make vegan Kadhai Paneer , use fir tofu, mushroom, or bean curd instead of paneer (cottage)
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
