Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken marinade:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup half & half or coconut milk
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon each: turmeric, garam masala and cayenne (or other ground dry red chiles)
- 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks – or chicken pieces, de-skinned
For the creamy korma sauce:
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1 cup canned tomatoes with juices
- 2 Tablespoons butter or ghee
- 1 large onion or 2 medium onions, peeled & chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 – 5 green cardamom pods
- 6 – 8 cloves of garlic, peeled & chopped
- A 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger root, grated
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
To finish the chicken:
- 1 Tablespoon butter or ghee
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches)
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: garam masala, turmeric, paprika, cumin
- A pinch of EACH: nutmeg, cloves, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom
- Salt and ground cayenne (or ground red chile), to taste
- For garnish: fresh cilantro leaves or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a small/medium mixing bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Chop the chicken into chunks. Add the chicken chunks to the marinade and stir to coat all the chicken. Set the bowl in the fridge and let marinate for at least 2 hours. (If marinating for longer, cover the bowl with a plate or reusable cover.)
- While the chicken is marinating, put the almonds and tomatoes in a small bowl and soak for at least 15 minutes, preferably longer.
- About 1 – 2 hours before chicken cooking time, make the sauce! Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the 2 Tablespoons of butter or ghee, using a spatula to coat the bottom of the pan, then add the onions and cardamom pods and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and caramelized.
- Add the garlic and ginger and saute a couple minutes longer. Remove from heat. Put the sauteed onion mixture into a blender along with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth, adding water if needed to get a nice smooth texture. Let sit at room temperature until needed.
- Rinse the yogurt marinade off the chicken and drain thoroughly. Pat the chicken dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the Tablespoon of butter or ghee. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and spices and stir with a spatula, toasting the spices until fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces and let them brown and sear on all sides, then reduce heat to medium low and stir in the yogurt sauce, adding coconut milk, milk, cream or water as needed to thin the sauce.
- Cover loosely and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through (at 165 F for larger pieces poked with a cooking thermometer). Garnish with chopped cilantro (or parsley) and enjoy!
Notes
I suggest serving with a side of daal and naan (or my sourdough gyro pita bread), with a light salad or sliced cucumbers. Cooked brown basmati is also nice.
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