This old delhi style chicken korma recipe features tender, bone-in chicken pieces cooked in an unapologettically oily, well spiced and mildly tangy yogurt based gravy. The sauce is rich and indulgent without feeling heavy, since it uses no nuts or heavy cream. To keep the authentic flavors, we will not take any shortcuts. Everything is from made scratch, right from deep frying the onions(birista) to slow coking the chicken. Serve it with flatbreads such as laccha paratha or naan for the perfect bite!
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In India, korma is made in several different ways. There are richer versions with cashews, like royal chicken korma or restaurant lamb korma, and then there is the traditional meat korma, which is slightly closer to the one I'm sharing here. The ingredients may look similar, but the technique is what truly sets it apart.
It's also known as "purani dilli korma" or "shaadiyon vala korma" because its special enough to be cooked for weddings and large gatherings, which explains its rich, hearty nature and why it continues to be so deeply loved. The taste is tangy, and relatively mild as compared to indian chicken curry dishes.
What's Special about Delhi Chicken Korma
- No marination needed. Since we are using cut up whole chicken or a mixture of bone in chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs (like I do), the meat naturally stays tender and the bones will contribute to the flavor. Using bone less chicken will not do justice to traditional taste, so please avoid.
- Fried onions are an absolute must! They are what make the sauce umami, rich with oil, and slightly grainy. That graininess is the key to true Delhi chicken korma. The goal is to cook the yogurt and onion mixture long enough for all the moisture to evaporate. As this happens, the fried onions slowly break down and combine with the yogurt particles, and hence form a stringy, lacy texture instead of a smooth gravy. This texture is referred to as "danedaar" gravy. In Hindi, danedaar literally means grainy, and that is exactly the texture you want in a proper Old Delhi style korma.
- No tomatoes. The korma sauce builds when yogurt and onions cook together in fat. If you add tomatoes, its stops being a korma. Rather becomes a different curry altogether.
- It is relatively mild and incredibly aromatic! This korma recipe is about warming, layered aroma and flavors. It isnt supposed to be fiery. Delhi cuisine is a blend of Mughlai and Punjabi influences, and Mughlai food in particular is known for its intense aroma. For this chicken korma, we will prepare a special finishing spice blend called "khushboo ka masala", which literally translates to "the fragrance spice mix".
- In addition to fragrant spices, an essential component of korma gravy is the kewra water. A little kewra goes a long way, but the floral notes coupled with spices is what gives the chicken korma its signature depth and delicate perfume.
- Last but not the least, all this warming chicken korma asks for is patience and your trust in the traditional process. You give it enough time to allow the flavors to develop slowly to bring out its aromatic and soft, luscious texture.
Ingredients
How To Make Chicken Korma Delhi Style
Preparation
- Traditionally, in India, we use whole chicken cut up into pieces. But, in my recipe I use a mixture of bone in thighs and drumsticks. Make sure to de skin the chicken because skin on chicken isn't used in indian curries.
- Slice the onions as evenly as possible. Don't slice too thin or too thick.
- Dry toast the whole spices for the finishing spice blend and grind to a fine powder. Keep covered until ready to use.
Make The Korma
- We begin by deep frying the onions. I highly recommend that you fry the onions freshly for this recipe. The onion infused oil that we get is intensely flavorful for cooking and freshly fried onions break down quickly in the masala as compared to store bought.
- In a wide and heavy bottomed cooking pot, deep fry the sliced onions in hot oil until they are evenly golden brown. In my earlier linked post on crispy fried onions, I have shared lot of tips to achieve the perfect color and texture of onions.
Fried Onions are the soul of any korma you make. Be careful that they don't turn too dark while frying since they will continue to brown in the carryover heat(residual heat)once you take them out of hot oil. Take the onions out when they are golden brown. If your onions become too dark, the flavor will be quite instense and could get bitter.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried onions from the hot oil and spread on a tray or plate( use parchment paper for lining the tray since we don't want to lose the oil, it will help you in next step). Don't pile them up else they will get soggy.
- Once the fried onions are cooled, crush them as fine as you can using your hands. You can grind too(without adding anything else) but do not make a paste. Set aside.
5. Transfer the oil to another dish. Without wiping or rinsing, to the same cooking pot, add the chicken, ginger & garlic, spices, whisked yogurt and ⅓ cup of the onion infused oil.
6. Mix well to combine everything very well. At this stage the mixture will be dull orange in color. If you have time, you can set this to marinate for couple hours(optional).
7. Place the cooking pot with chicken on medium flame. For the first 3-4 minutes, stir continuously to prevent the yogurt from curdling.
8. When the yogurt is warmed through, you can add the salt. Once you see little bubbles, cover the pot and let chicken cook for 12-15 minutes or until 90% cooked.
9.Uncover and using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces from the gravy and place on a plate. Cover and set aside.
10. To the yogurt gravy remaining in the cooking pot, add the crushed fried onions and mix well. Cook uncovered, stirring often until the masala thickens, the onions break down and a noticeable layer of oil rises to the top.
11. When the yogurt gravy has cooked to the right consistency, you will notice that the texture is grainy as shown in image above. It should be thickish but don't dry out. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get there.
12. Return the chicken pieces to the grainy textured sauce and let cook For 8-10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
13. Finish the korma with the fragrant spice blend and 2-3 drops of kewra water. Mix well.
14. Let korma rest for 20-30 minutes before serving. Serve warm with doughy flatbreads.
Tanvi's Tips
- This is a super oily curry. The oil that rises to the top, often referred to as "taar" is essential to bring the true essence of the dish to life, so I recommend that you to cook in the oil quantity as mentioned in the recipe card. Before serving, I typically skim off most of it. Just let the korma rest undisturbed for 10-12 minutes and then gently spoon the oil from the surface. This is an optional step.
- Reserve the oil and if I may, I highly recommend that while serving, you drizzle a half tablespoon or full tablespoon of skimmed oil on top to experience traditional taste and richness of korma.
- Korma can easily catch the bottom of the cooking pot due to yogurt. A periodic stir helps maintain a silky gravy without splitting.
Old Delhi Chicken Korma
Ingredients
To deep fry onions
- 325 -350 g onions sliced evenly (see note #1)
- 1.5-2 cup oil use any neutral oil
For Chicken Korma
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) skinless, bone-in chicken I use a mix of chicken drumsticks and thighs
- 350 g plain yogurt/dahi not too sour or watery, (at room temperature and whisked to smooth)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- ½ tablespoon ginger paste
- 1.25 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon kewra water
Spices to add to Korma While Cooking
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 2 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1.5 tablespoon kashmiri red chili powder for color
- 1 tablespoon red chilli ppwder (hot!), adjust quantity to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Whole spices for making finishing spice mix
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 clove
- 1-2 blades mace
- Small piece nutmeg
Instructions
- Start by dry toasting the whole spices for the final aromatic spice blend. Toast the spices in a small skillet for about 2 minutes on low heat. You will start smelling a nice aroma. Once toasted, cool slightly and grind them into a fine powder. Keep covered until you're ready to use. This locks in the fragrance beautifully.
- Next, we deep fry the onions. In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, fry the sliced onions in hot oil until they turn a deep, even golden brown. If you need tips on getting them just right, I've shared detailed pointers in a previous post on crispy fried onions.
- Once the onions are fried, use a slotted spoon to take them out and spread them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Don't stack them because that'll make them soggy. The parchment also helps preserve any oil that drips off, which will help us in crushing them later.
- Once the onions have cooled, crush them as finely as you can using your hands. You can grind them too using a blender, just don't add anything else and avoid turning them into a paste. Set them aside.
- Remove all the used oil into another dish. Without rinsing or wiping the cooking pot, add in the chicken, whole green cardamom pods & cloves, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder along with whisked yogurt, ginger & garlic and about ⅓ cup of the oil. Mix everything together really well. At this point, the mixture will have a dull orange color.If you have extra time, let this mixture marinate for a couple of hours. This is optional, but adds even more flavor.
- Place the pot on medium heat. For the first few minutes (about 3-4), stir constantly to prevent the yogurt from splitting.
- Once the yogurt has warmed through, stir in the salt. Continue to cook and as soon as you start notice that the yogurt is simmering, cover the pot. Let the chicken cook for about 15-20 minutes, until it's nearly cooked through (around 90%). Please adjust cooking time as needed.
- Uncover and carefully pick out the chicken pieces using a slotted spoon. Place them on a plate and cover to keep warm and prevent them from drying.
- Now turn your attention back to the pot with the yogurt gravy. Add in the crushed fried onions and let the mixture cook uncovered. Keep stirring. Slowly the masala should reduce, thicken, and you'll see a glossy layer of oil rise to the top. This stage takes about 15-20 minutes. The texture should be thick and grainy, but not dry. You'll know it's ready when it looks rich and slightly textured.
- Add the chicken back into the pot. Cover(if needed) and let it finish cooking in the thickened sauce for another 8-10 minutes, or until fully done.
- To finish the korma, stir in the freshly ground spice blend and a few drops of kewra water for that signature aroma. Mix well.
- Let the korma rest for 20-30 minutes before serving. This helps the flavors deepen. Serve warm with soft, doughy flatbreads for a comforting, classic meal.
Notes
- Note # 1 It's best to fry the onions freshly for this recipe since store-bought just won't give the same flavor or texture. The onion-infused oil we get from this step adds a rich depth to the dish, and the fresh onions break down quickly in the masala, which is exactly what we want.
- Korma can easily catch the bottom of the cooking pot due to yogurt. A periodic stir helps maintain a silky gravy without splitting.
- This is a super oily curry. The oil that rises to the top, referred to as "taar" is essential to bring the true essence of the dish to life, so I reccomend that you to cook it in the oil quantity as mentioned in the recipe card. Before serving, I typically skim off most of it. Just let the korma rest undisturbed for 10-12 minutes and then gently spoon the oil from the surface. This is an optional step.
- I highly recommend that while serving, you add a half tablespoon or full tablespoon of skimmed oil on top to experience traditional taste and richness of korma.
Angie says
I made this recipe today thinking we will consume it over 2 meals. There were no leftovers after 1 meal. It was soooo good! I added more yoghurt and fried onions than listed in the measurements. I will be making this again and again.
The recipe does not tell at what point to add ginger-garlic which are in the ingredients. I realized only when I had started making the dish, so I had to invent my own way of adding them.
Tanvi Srivastava says
Hi Angie,
Thank you so much for trying!! I a so glad that you liked it.
The ginger and garlic are adeed with the chicken.Thanks for pointing, I must have missed that instruction (I will update).
Appreciate your feedback and support always. Thank you!!
Shruti says
This Chicken Korma recipe was absolutely fantastic! The balance of spices, creaminess, and richness came together perfectly. That "Taari" on the top- Lip smacking good! I really appreciated how clearly you explained each step — it made the whole process feel effortless. The end result was aromatic, flavorful, and a total crowd-pleaser in my home. Thank you for sharing such a comforting, beautifully crafted recipe — definitely adding this to my regular rotation!
Tanvi Srivastava says
Hi Shruti,
I am so glad you liked the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us. As you said- its definitely is a crowd pleaser!