Hyderabadi Chicken Korma

5 from 1 vote

Hyderabadi Chicken Korma recipe with step-by-step photos and a video recipe. Chicken Korma is a rich, thick, and creamy Mughlai chicken curry from Hyderabad, India. It is made with chicken, yogurt, nuts, desiccated coconut, and spices. Serve Korma curry with Naan, Jeera rice, or steamed rice.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Main

Cuisine: Hyderabadi, Indian

Servings: people

Calories: 431kcal

Author: Preeti Nayak

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.

Video

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