Chicken Korma
Korma, in the Urdu language, simply means cooked meat. Because of the styles of restaurant cooking, korma is associated with a creamy, mild, and rich sauce. To increase the creaminess of this recipe, almonds are added, and then the dish is finished with a touch of coconut milk. A quick blending of the sauce ingredients followed by cooking under pressure in the Instant Pot results in a dish that is rich, creamy, and flavorful, with a thick sauce that is not overly spicy.
Korma, in the Urdu language, simply means cooked meat. Because of the styles of restaurant cooking, korma is associated with a creamy, mild, and rich sauce. To increase the creaminess of this recipe, almonds are added, and then the dish is finished with a touch of coconut milk. A quick blending of the sauce ingredients followed by cooking under pressure in the Instant Pot results in a dish that is rich, creamy, and flavorful, with a thick sauce that is not overly spicy.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 5 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 1/2 cup tomato (diced)
- 1 ounce raw almonds (or substitute cashews if you prefer)
- 1/2 green serrano chile
- 1 pound chicken breasts (thighs or drumsticks, boneless, skinless)
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk (or more to taste)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped fresh optional)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped fresh)
- 1 tablespoons pinch saffron strands (soaked in 2non-dairy milk)
- Carbohydrate 3.16991988878485 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.55646598037608 g
- Fiber 1.22489501789178 g
- Protein 1.82569971258845 g
- Saturated Fat 0.28300871816398 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (170g)
- Sodium 7.75711217690804 mg
- Sugar 1.94502487089308 g
- Trans Fat 0.230072838292722 g
- Calories 48 calories
Step-by-step
- In a blender jar, mix the almonds, onion, tomato, serrano, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, garam masala, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and water. Blend into a smooth purée.
- Pour the sauce into the inner cooking pot of the Instant Pot. Place the chicken on top. If the chicken is frozen, push it down into the sauce a little.
- Lock the lid into place. Select Manual and adjust the pressure to High. Cook for 10 minutes.
- When the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Unlock and remove the lid.
- Carefully remove the chicken to a board and cut it into bite-size pieces.
- Stir the coconut milk, garam masala, and tomato paste into the pot. Return the chicken to the pot, and garnish with the slivered almonds and cilantro.
- Pour the saffron milk along with the saffron strands over the rice and serve.
Blending raw onions, whole nuts, and fresh aromatics directly into a paste before pressure cooking creates the structural base for the sauce. Raw almonds contain natural starches and fats that emulsify when pulverized, thickening the liquid without requiring flour or dairy reductions. Traditional korma relies on braising meat slowly with yogurt or nuts, but sealing the ingredients inside an electric pressure cooker accelerates starch gelatinization and protein breakdown. High-pressure environments force moisture into the muscle fibers of the chicken rapidly, requiring only ten minutes at pressure followed by a natural pressure release to keep the meat from tightening. Running the blender until the purée is completely uniform prevents gritty particles from separating out during the heat cycle. Raw cashews make a direct one-to-one substitute for almonds if a softer texture and milder flavor profile are desired. Full-fat coconut milk stirred in at the end introduces lauric acid and rich fats that bind with the blended nut paste, establishing a glossy finish over the poultry. Saffron strands steeped in warm plant milk release crocin pigments slowly, so steep them for at least ten minutes prior to garnishing the grain base.
