Old Delhi Chicken Korma
Old Delhi Chicken Korma is a rich, aromatic chicken curry made with yogurt, chicken, golden fried onions, and a warm blend of spices. It is slow-cooked to perfection in traditional Mughlai style. Best enjoyed with soft flatbreads!
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!