Creamy Chicken Korma Recipe | Rich, Flavorful & Easy 2025

So korma. Everyone orders it at restaurants right? Because it looks fancy and tastes creamy and rich. But here’s the thing—you can make it at home and honestly it tastes better. Takes like 45 minutes. Not complicated. Just actual food that tastes good.

The thing about chicken korma that people don’t get is that it’s literally just a sauce. That’s the whole thing. You make a sauce, you put chicken in it, you let it cook. The sauce gets creamy from yogurt and cream. The spices make it smell amazing. The chicken sits in there and soaks it all up and gets soft. Done. That’s korma.

Nobody’s gonna make you think you’re some fancy chef when you serve it either. They’re gonna be like “oh my god this is so good” and ask for more. That’s it. That’s the whole interaction. Good food, people like it. Simple.

Why This Actually Tastes Better Than Restaurant Chicken Korma

Restaurant korma is good. But it’s been sitting under heat lamps. It’s got stuff in it you can’t pronounce. It tastes a bit sweet because they add a ton of cream and sometimes coconut milk and sometimes even sugar. When you make it at home, you taste actual flavors. You taste the spices. You taste the yogurt tang. You taste the chicken because it’s actually in there, not hidden under sauce.

The other thing is korma’s one of those curries that gets better when it sits. Like tomorrow it’s gonna taste better than today. The flavors kind of meld together overnight. Restaurant’s gotta serve it right away. You get to eat it the next day and it’s actually at its best.

Plus you control how creamy. You want it more like sauce? Use less cream. Want it more like soup? Add milk. You want it thicker? Cook it longer. It’s your food. You make it however you want it.

What You’re Gonna Actually Buy

The Chicken Piece

• 800 grams of chicken – Get thighs if you can. Or a mix of thighs and breasts. Breasts work but they’re drier. Thighs are fatty and stay juicy even if you accidentally cook them too long. Cut them into chunks. Like bite-sized. Not huge. Not tiny. Like the size of a walnut or something. You bite into it and it’s done in one bite basically.

The Very Beginning

• 3 tablespoons ghee – This is clarified butter. It’s not the same as regular butter. It tastes richer. Tastes like what korma should taste like. If you can’t find it, oil works. Vegetable oil is fine. But ghee is better and everyone who’s eaten korma knows the difference between oil korma and ghee korma. Get ghee.
• 1 big onion (chop it up fine) – Not sliced. Chopped fine. Like really small pieces. Because it’s gonna break down and disappear into the sauce. You don’t want chunks of onion floating around. This is the foundation of the whole thing. You gotta cook it till it’s soft and starting to brown.
• 4 big spoonfuls of ginger-garlic paste – You can buy this in a jar. Any Indian store has it. Or you can blend ginger and garlic. Either way. This is what makes it smell like korma. This is the smell that makes people go “what are you cooking?”
• 2 green chilies that you minced – Fresh ones from the store. Slice them up small. These give a little heat but not too much. Korma isn’t spicy. Just a tiny bit of warmth.

The Spice Part

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder – Ground cumin. Not the seeds. This is earthy and warm. Every curry has this.
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder – Also ground. Different from cumin. A tiny bit sweet. A tiny bit citrusy. You need both.
• 1 teaspoon garam masala – This is like a spice mix already. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, all together. It’s the thing that makes Indian food smell like Indian food. Buy it. Don’t make it from scratch. Too many spices.
• Half a teaspoon of turmeric – The golden yellow stuff. Don’t use too much or it tastes bitter. Just a little.
• Half a teaspoon of red chili powder – The mild kind. Pakistani chili powder if you can get it. Not cayenne. Not super hot. Just a little spice.
• 2 or 3 green cardamom pods – These look like little green things. Crack them open just a bit so the inside comes out. They smell sweet and kind of floral. Korma’s got these.
• 2 or 3 cloves – The little nail-shaped things. They’re strong so you don’t need many. They make korma taste warm.
• A piece of cinnamon stick – About an inch. Cinnamon stick, not ground. It’s got more flavor this way. Break it into a couple pieces.
• 2 bay leaves – Just put them in. They add a subtle thing you won’t understand but you’ll notice if they’re missing.
• Salt – You decide how much. Usually like a teaspoon but taste as you go.

The Creamy Part

• 1 cup of yogurt – The full-fat kind. Not Greek. Not flavored. Just plain. This makes it creamy. This also makes the chicken soft. This is essential.
• Half a cup of heavy cream – Or you can use coconut milk instead if you want. Cream makes it richer. Coconut milk makes it lighter. Both work. Both taste different. Try both.
• 2 big spoonfuls of tomato paste – This is thick tomato stuff in a tube or can. It adds a slight tanginess and makes the sauce deeper. Balances the sweetness of the cream.

The Finish

• Fresh cilantro – Chopped up. About 2 tablespoons. This is for at the end. Makes it taste fresh instead of just heavy.
• Fresh mint – Also chopped. Like 1 tablespoon. This helps with the fresh taste.
• Lemon juice – Fresh from an actual lemon. About 1 tablespoon. This wakes everything up. Without it the korma tastes boring and heavy.
• Ground almonds (optional) – Like 1 tablespoon. This makes it extra creamy and thick. Not necessary but nice.

How to Actually Make This Thing

Step 1: Get the Onions Right

Dump ghee in a pot. Medium heat. Wait till it’s hot. You’ll see it kind of shimmer. Then throw in your finely chopped onions. Just watch them. Stir them around with a spoon. This takes time. Don’t rush it.

You want them to go from white to kind of see-through and soft. Then they should start turning a little golden. That’s when you know they’re ready. Takes like 5-8 minutes. If you rush it, the onions are hard and the whole korma tastes different. Bad different. So just wait.

Step 2: Add the Ginger-Garlic

Once the onions are soft, dump in the ginger-garlic paste. Dump in the minced green chilies too. Stir everything together. Let it cook for like 2 minutes. You’re trying to cook out the raw taste from the ginger and garlic. After 2 minutes it should smell warm and spicy.

Step 3: Add the Spice Powders

Now add cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, red chili powder. All at once. Stir it really well so it all mixes together. Let it cook for about a minute.

What happens is the spices smell raw at first. Then they smell cooked. Then they smell warm and complex. That’s when they’re ready. You’ll smell the difference. It’s like the spices woke up.

Step 4: Add the Whole Spices

Add the green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves. Stir it all in. Let it cook for another minute. Now the whole pot smells like korma. Like actual restaurant korma. That’s how you know you’re doing it right.

Step 5: Add Tomato Paste

Add the 2 spoonfuls of tomato paste. Stir it in really well. You want it to mix with all the spices. Cook it for 2 minutes. It’s gonna look dark and spiced. That’s good. This adds a little tang and makes the sauce deeper.

Step 6: Put the Chicken In

Add your chicken chunks. Stir it around so every piece gets coated with all the spiced stuff. Let it cook for like 2-3 minutes. You’re not cooking it all the way. You’re just coating it and letting it say hello to the spices.

Step 7: Add the Yogurt

Pour in the yogurt. Stir it really really well. Break it apart with the spoon. Mix it so it’s smooth and creamy. It’s gonna look thin right now. That’s normal. As it cooks it’s gonna get thicker. The yogurt makes everything creamy and the chicken gets soft from it.

Step 8: Add the Cream

Pour in the heavy cream or coconut milk. Stir it all together. Now it actually looks creamy. Like a curry sauce. Taste it with a spoon. It should taste good. Warm. Spiced. Creamy. A little tangy from the yogurt. If it needs salt, add a pinch and stir.

Step 9: Let It Cook Low and Slow

Turn the heat down to low. Not high. Low. You want it to bubble gently. Just a little. You don’t want it boiling hard. Boiling hard can separate the cream and yogurt and make it look weird.

Put the lid on but leave it kind of off a little. Like tilt it. So steam can get out but stuff can cook. Let it do this for like 20-30 minutes. Don’t leave it alone completely. Stir it every couple minutes. Just give it a stir so nothing sticks to the bottom.

After 20 minutes, check the chicken. Stab a piece with a knife. It should be soft and cooked through. White inside. The sauce should be creamy and coat everything.

Step 10: Finish and Serve

Add lemon juice. Add chopped cilantro. Add chopped mint. Stir it. Taste it. Does it need more salt? Add a tiny bit. The lemon should make it taste bright instead of just creamy.

If you got ground almonds, add them now. Stir it. Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes so they soak into the sauce.

Pour it into a bowl or onto a plate. Serve it with rice. Good rice. Fluffy rice. Or naan. Or roti. Or all three. Put a dollop of yogurt on the side (raita). Maybe some fresh cilantro on top if you wanna make it look fancy.

What Can Go Wrong

If you don’t cook the onions long enough – The sauce tastes sharp and thin. Doesn’t taste creamy and rich. Spend the 5 minutes. Cook the onions. It matters.

If you skip toasting the spices – The spices taste raw and flat. Takes like 1 minute. Do it. It tastes totally different.

If you dump yogurt in without stirring – It can lump up. It can curdle. It looks weird. Stir it really well when you add it. Break it apart.

If you use high heat while simmering – The cream and yogurt can separate and it looks ugly. Won’t taste terrible but it looks weird. Keep the heat low.

If you don’t add lemon juice – It tastes heavy and kind of boring. The lemon wakes it up. Not optional.

If you use old ghee or oil that’s been sitting around – It tastes rancid. Just buy fresh. It’s cheap.

If you cook it for like 5 minutes – The chicken isn’t cooked. The flavors haven’t melded. Takes 20-30 minutes. Don’t rush.

If you use non-fat yogurt – It doesn’t make the sauce creamy and the chicken doesn’t get soft. Use full-fat. Regular yogurt. That’s it.

Creamy Chicken Korma Recipe | Rich, Flavorful & Easy 2025

Make creamy, flavorful chicken korma at home with tender chicken, rich spices, and a silky gravy. Easy step‑by‑step recipe for a royal family dinner!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Calories 440 kcal

Equipment

• Big pot
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring spoons and cups
• maybe an immersion blender

Ingredients

  

Base:

• 3 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 big onion chopped fine
• 4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chilies minced

Spices:

• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• 2-3 green cardamom
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• salt

Protein & Sauce:

• 800 g chicken chunks
• 1 cup full-fat yogurt
• ½ cup heavy cream or coconut milk
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Finish:

• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp fresh mint
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp ground almonds optional

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Heat ghee in a pot. Add finely chopped onions. Cook 5-8 minutes till soft and starting to turn golden. Stir sometimes.
• 2. Add ginger-garlic paste and minced green chilies. Cook 2 minutes. Should smell cooked and fragrant.
• 3. Add cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, red chili powder. Stir well. Cook 1-2 minutes till you smell the spices change from raw to warm.
• 4. Add green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves. Stir and cook 1 minute. Whole pot should smell like korma now.
• 5. Add tomato paste. Mix really well. Cook 2 minutes. Add chicken chunks and stir so everything gets coated. Cook 2-3 minutes.
• 6. Pour in yogurt. Stir really well and break it apart. Mix till smooth and creamy.
• 7. Add heavy cream or coconut milk. Stir. Taste and add salt if needed.
• 8. Turn heat to low. Gentle simmer. Cover partially (tilt the lid). Cook 20-30 minutes. Stir every few minutes. Chicken should be cooked through, sauce creamy.
• 9. Add lemon juice, cilantro, mint. If using almonds, add now and cook 2-3 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
• 10. Serve hot with basmati rice, naan, or roti. Add raita on the side.

Notes

• Cook the onions properly. Don’t skip ahead. It’s 5-8 minutes. Changes the whole thing.
• Toast the spices. Takes 1 minute. Makes them taste better. Do it.
• Stir yogurt in really well when you add it. Don’t just dump it.
• Low heat when simmering. Not boiling. Keeps the sauce from looking weird.
• Lemon juice at the end is not optional. Changes everything. Do it.
• Fresh herbs at the very end. Cilantro and mint. Makes it taste fresh not heavy.
• It tastes better the next day. Make it ahead if you want.
• Freezes really well for 3 months.
• Reheats best on the stove, not the microwave.
• Don’t use high heat at any point. It messes things up.

NUTRITION (Per serving): Calories: About 420-480
Protein: 38 grams
Carbs: 8 grams
Fat: 28 grams
Fiber: 1 gram

Keyword best chicken korma, chicken korma recipe, creamy chicken korma, easy korma, homemade korma recipe, spiced chicken

What Goes With Korma

You’re not gonna eat korma by itself. You need stuff to go with it.

Rice – Basmati rice. Plain. Just cooked with salt and maybe a bay leaf. That’s it. The rice is blank so it balances the creamy sauce.

Naan – That fluffy bread from the Indian store or a restaurant. You tear off a piece and use it like a spoon. Soaks up the sauce.

Roti – Thin flatbread. Lighter than naan. Still good for soaking up sauce.

Raita – This is yogurt mixed with diced cucumber, chopped mint, cumin powder, salt. Takes 3 minutes. Tastes fresh and cool against the warm rich korma. You should make this.

Onion salad – Sliced onions with salt and lemon juice. That’s it. Takes like 30 seconds. Tastes good.

Cucumber and tomato salad – Diced cucumber, diced tomato, onion, salt, lemon juice, cilantro. Fresh and crisp.

You need at least rice and something to make it cool. Raita is perfect. Or at least sliced onions with lemon.

How to Chicken Keep Korma Around

In the fridge: Put it in a container with a lid. It lasts like 4-5 days. It actually tastes better on day two. All the flavors settle and mesh together. Reheat it on the stove on low heat. Stir it while it reheats. If it got thick, add a splash of milk or water. Don’t microwave it. The microwave heats it weird and the sauce doesn’t heat evenly.

In the freezer: It freezes really well. Let it cool first. Put it in a freezer bag or a container. It’s good for like 3 months. Take it out the night before and let it thaw in the fridge. Then reheat it on the stove.

Reheating: Stove is best. Low heat. Stir occasionally. Add water if it’s too thick. Takes like 10 minutes to get hot all the way through. The sauce might look a little separated when you first reheat it. Just stir and it comes back together.

Other Curries You Should Try

Butter chicken – Kind of like korma but it’s got tomato sauce and butter instead of cream. Richer color. A little bit more tangy. Takes about 30 minutes.

Chicken tikka masala – You cook tikka first, then put it in a creamy tomato sauce. Different technique but tastes kind of similar to korma. Takes 40 minutes.

Paneer korma – Same exact korma but with paneer cheese instead of chicken. Vegetarian. Tastes amazing. Takes like 25 minutes.

Murgh makhani – Creamy tomato chicken. Less sweet than korma. More tomato. Takes about 35 minutes.

Vegetable korma – Mix of vegetables instead of chicken. Lighter. Takes like 20 minutes.

Chicken dopiaza – Chicken with onions and peppers. Not as creamy. More textured. Tomato-based. Takes 30 minutes.

Biryani – Chicken with rice cooked together with spices. Takes way longer but it’s a complete meal. You’ll want to make it.

Why You Should Actually Make This

Korma looks fancy but it’s really not. You’re making a creamy sauce and putting chicken in it. That’s the whole thing. Takes 45 minutes. Tastes like you know what you’re doing.

The best part is it’s forgiving. Get the onions a little too golden? Still good. Add too much cream? Still tastes like korma. Chicken a tiny bit overcooked? The sauce keeps it from being obvious. There’s not really a way to mess this up bad enough that it’s inedible.

Second time you make it you’ll be faster. Third time you won’t think about it. You’ll just do it. After that you’ll make it whenever you want creamy spiced chicken that tastes better than restaurants and costs way less.

Eat it with rice and raita and you’ve got a complete meal that took you less time than ordering and picking up takeout. And it tastes way better. That’s the whole thing.