Hyderabadi Chicken Korma recipe with step-by-step photos and a video recipe. Chicken Korma is a thick, creamy, and mildly spiced Mughlai chicken curry from Hyderabad, India. It is made with chicken, desiccated coconut, yogurt, nuts, and aromatic spices. Serve it with Greek yogurt naan, jeera rice, or steamed rice.
I love making Hyderabadi recipes, and these are some of my favourites on the blog - Hyderabadi chicken masala, Hyderabadi green chicken, and Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani.
This Hyderabadi Chicken Korma is creamy, thick, and so delicious. The chicken is slow-cooked with yogurt and spices until soft and tender, then finished with fried onions, nuts, and coconut paste. Serve it with naan, jeera rice, or steamed rice.
What I love about this Korma recipe is that the creaminess comes naturally from birista (fried onions), yogurt, nuts, and coconut. I do not add cream or butter. Slow-cooked onions and nuts make the korma thick, smooth, and so delicious.
Quick Look: Hyderabadi Chicken Korma Recipe
- ⏱ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 40 minutes
- 🔥 Calories: ~430 kcal per serving
- 🛒 Key Ingredients: Chicken, onions (birista), yogurt, cashews, desiccated coconut, whole spices, keora water
- 🍳 Cook Method: Make birista → roast cashews & coconut → cook chicken with yogurt and spices → blend onion-nut paste → simmer korma on low heat
- 🌶 Spice Level: Mild to medium
- 😋 Flavour Profile: Creamy, mildly spiced, aromatic Hyderabadi-style
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy-Medium, perfect for weekend meals or special dinners
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy one-pot recipe: Everything cooks in one pan, making this chicken korma easy to prepare and clean up.
- A creamy chicken korma made without cream or butter.
- No marination needed: No planning ahead. Just add the chicken and let the slow cooking build all the flavour.
- Tastes even better the next day: The spices blend beautifully as the korma rests, making the curry even more flavourful the next day.
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About this recipe
Chicken Korma comes from Mughlai cuisine, known for flavourful curries made with yogurt, nuts, aromatic spices, and ghee.
This Hyderabadi korma is a mildly spiced version with a thick and creamy gravy, often prepared during Eid and special occasions.
Korma is made differently across India. While North Indian chicken korma often uses almonds and chirongi, Hyderabadi chicken korma commonly uses cashews and coconut for a creamy texture.
You may also like these other popular Mughali chicken recipes from this website:
Korma Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Chicken: I prefer using bone-in chicken for the best flavour, but boneless chicken works too.
- Yogurt (Curd): I used Greek yogurt, but fresh homemade curd works well too. It gives this Hyderabadi Chicken Korma its creamy texture, so do not skip it.
- Onions (Birista): I used red onions to make birista (fried onions). This is what makes the korma naturally creamy without adding cream or butter. You can also use store-bought birista.
- Thickener: I used cashews and desiccated coconut for a thick, smooth korma gravy. You can replace cashews with almonds if needed.
- Ghee & Oil: I used a little ghee for flavour. You can also use any neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point.
- Spice Powders - Turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder.
- Flavouring: Keora water, cardamom powder, and mace powder give authentic korma flavour and aroma. You can skip keora water if unavailable. You can powder mace in a mortar and pestle.
- Whole Spices: Bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, green cardamoms, cinnamon, and cumin add aroma and flavour. If you are missing one or two spices, use whatever you have.
How to make Hyderabadi Chicken Korma with Step-by-Step Photos
Making Birista (Fried Onions)
- Step 1: Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.
- Step 2: Add sliced onions in small batches and fry until golden, stirring frequently (images 1 & 2).
- Step 3: Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. You can also use store-bought birista.
Roasting Nuts & Coconut
- Step 4: Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a pan over medium-low heat. Roast cashews until lightly golden.
- Step 5: Add desiccated coconut and roast on low heat until lightly golden. (images 3 & 4). Remove and let it cool.
Making Hyderabadi Chicken Korma
- Step 6: Heat ghee and oil in a deep-bottomed pan over low heat. Add whole spices and sauté for 1 minute (image 5).
- Step 7: Add chicken, ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, Kashmiri red chili powder, spicy red chili powder, turmeric, salt, and coriander powder. Mix well to start the Hyderabadi korma base (images 6, 7, & 8).
- Step 8: Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slow cooking makes the chicken soft and flavourful.
- Step 9: Divide fried onions into two parts (image 9). Blend one part of the fried onions with roasted cashews and coconut, adding a little water to make a smooth korma paste (images 10 & 11).
- Step 10: Crush the remaining fried onions and keep aside (image 12).
- Step 11: Once the chicken is cooked and oil floats on the surface of the korma curry, add the prepared onion-cashew paste, crushed fried onions, garam masala, green chilies, keora water, cardamom powder, and mace powder to the pan. Mix well (images 13, 14, & 15).
- Step 12: Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low heat (image 16). Serve this chicken korma hot with naan or steamed rice.
Tips to make the Best Hyderabadi Chicken Korma
- Cook on low heat: For the best Hyderabadi korma, cook on low heat throughout. Slow cooking makes the chicken soft, tender, and full of flavour.
- Make fresh onion paste: Grind the fried onion and cashew paste only when ready to use. Making it ahead can darken the colour of the korma.
- Keep the gravy thick: Hyderabadi korma has a thick, creamy gravy. Avoid adding too much water, or the flavours will get diluted.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken Korma is a popular Mughlai chicken curry known for its rich, thick, and creamy gravy. It is made with chicken, yogurt, nuts, and aromatic spices. The word "korma" comes from the Urdu word "qorma," meaning to braise or slow-cook in gravy. Braising is a cooking method where food is first sautéed, then slow-cooked in gravy in a covered pot.
It can be served with roti, paratha, Greek yogurt naan, quick pressure cooker jeera rice, or steamed rice.
Korma tastes creamy and mildly spiced, with soft, tender chicken in a thick gravy. Yogurt, nuts, and fried onions make the curry smooth and creamy, while aromatic spices add flavour.
Yes. In fact, Hyderabadi chicken korma tastes even better the next day as the flavours deepen.
Yes. It adds an authentic aroma, but the korma still tastes delicious without it.
Yes. You can use boneless chicken, but bone-in chicken gives the best flavour and stays juicy in korma curry.
Recipe Card
Hyderabadi Chicken Korma
Video
Equipment
- 1 Deep bottom pan
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken, curry cut
- 4 onions thinly sliced
- 7 cashews
- 3 tablespoon desiccated coconut
To make korma sauce
- 2 teaspoon ghee, divided
- ¼ cup oil (same oil used to fry onions)
- 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 cup yogurt or curd
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon spicy red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (or as per taste)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 green chilies
- 1 teaspoon keora water (optional)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon mace powder
Whole spices
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 cloves
- 6-7 peppercorns
- 3 green cardamoms (open slightly before adding)
- 2 inch cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
Preparations
- Making birista (fried onions). Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions in small batches and fry until golden, stirring frequently.4 onions
- Remove birista to a plate lined with a paper towel. You can also use store-bought birista.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a pan over medium-low heat. Roast cashews until lightly golden.7 cashews
- Add desiccated coconut and roast on low heat until lightly golden. Remove and let it cool.3 tablespoon desiccated coconut
Making Hyderabadi Chicken Korma
- Heat ghee and oil in a deep-bottomed pan over low heat. Add whole spices and sauté for 1 minute.2 teaspoon ghee,, ¼ cup oil, 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves, 6-7 peppercorns, 3 green cardamoms, 2 inch cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cumin
- Add chicken, ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, Kashmiri red chili powder, spicy red chili powder, turmeric, salt, and coriander powder. Mix well.1 kg chicken, curry cut, 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 cup yogurt or curd, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 teaspoon spicy red chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt (or as per taste), ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Divide the fried onions into two parts. Blend one part with roasted cashews and coconut, adding a little water to make a smooth paste.
- Crush the remaining fried onions and keep it aside.
- Once the chicken is cooked and oil floats on top, add the onion-cashew paste, crushed onions, garam masala, green chilies, keora water, cardamom powder, and mace powder. Mix well.½ teaspoon garam masala powder, 2 green chilies, 1 teaspoon keora water, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon mace powder
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Serve hot with naan or steamed rice.
Notes
- Cook on low heat: For the best Hyderabadi korma, cook on low heat throughout. Slow cooking makes the chicken soft, tender, and full of flavour.
- Do not burn birista: Slice onions thinly and fry in small batches. Once they start turning brown, lower the heat and remove quickly. They burn fast.
- Make fresh onion paste: Grind the fried onion and cashew paste only when ready to use. Making it ahead can darken the colour of the korma.
- Keep the gravy thick: Hyderabadi korma has a thick, creamy gravy. Avoid adding too much water, or the flavours will get diluted.
- Do not skip yogurt: Yogurt (curd) gives the korma its signature flavour and texture. Fresh homemade curd works well too.
- Use keora water carefully: Add only a small amount of keora water and mace powder. Too much can overpower the korma flavour. Skip the keora water if you do not enjoy its taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Samaira
Tasty
Hafsah
hello, this recipe does not include salt. is there a reason why?
Preeti Nayak
Updated the recipe. Thanks.