This is an authentic chicken korma recipe straight from my mother and grandmother's kitchen! Tender cuts of bone-in chicken are cooked in a rich and sumptuous sauce made with fried onions, yogurt, whole spices and ground almonds. Both instant pot and stovetop recipes included.
Heat the oil in a heavy deep-bottomed pan and add the sliced onions and cinnamon stick. Fry the onions until reddish-brown. Take off the heat and with the help of a slotted spoon, transfer the fried onions to a bowl. When they cool down, add them to a blender along with the cinnamon stick, yogurt, and almonds. Blend to get a smooth, lump-free paste.
In the same oil in which the onions were fried, add the bay leaves, black and green cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns. When the whole spices sizzle, add the chicken and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste along with the powdered spices – coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and sea salt. Cook on a medium flame, adding a few splashes of water. The masala will become thick and shiny and the oil will leave the sides of the pan, approximately in 10 minutes.
Stir in the onion puree prepared in step 1. Add ¼ cup water and mix well.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the oil floats on the top. Add the kewra water if using and stir the chicken. The korma is ready to be served.
Instant Pot Instructions
Use the sauté function from step 1 to 3. Make sure the heat is medium.
Be sure to deglaze the pot before pressure cooking the chicken.
At the end of step 3, cancel sauté and add the onion paste. Add ½ cup water, mix everything with a spoon and secure the lid. Make sure the steam release vent is on 'sealing' and press the pressure cooking button (high). Set the timer to 5 minutes.
When the timer beeps, open the pot, add the kewra water if using and stir the chicken. The korma is ready to be served.
Notes
Fry the onions carefully to prevent them from turning too dark. Take them off the heat as soon as they turn reddish-brown.
Alternatively, you can also use pre-fried onions from any Indian or Pakistani grocery store to save time.
You can make your own ginger-garlic paste at home if you don't want to use the store-bought pastes. Add equal quantities of peeled ginger and garlic in a blender along with a little water and blend to a smooth paste. Use the quantity required by the recipe and store the rest in a sealed jar in the fridge.
Do soak the almonds for 4-5 hours prior to cooking. The skins will slide off easily.
Kashmiri chilli powder is a mild variety of red chilli. It mostly adds color and flavor rather than heat. If you can't get your hands on it, substitute with your regular cayenne, but use less.