Description
Chicken Kofta Korma is a rich and aromatic Indian dish featuring tender ground chicken meatballs simmered in a creamy, spiced korma sauce. The meatballs are flavored with fragrant herbs and warm spices, then cooked in a luscious sauce made with ghee, yogurt, cream, and ground almonds, delivering a comforting and flavorful meal perfect for serving with rice or Indian breads like naan or chapati.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Koftas (Meatballs):
- 1 lb (450g) ground chicken
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 cup (80g) breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp mint leaves, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
For the Korma Sauce:
- 2 oz. (60g) ghee
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 1 whole dried red chili pepper
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 cup (60g) plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground almonds
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, chopped onion, ginger paste, garlic paste, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, ground cardamom, and ground nutmeg. Mix thoroughly and, using wet hands, shape the mixture into approximately 1 ¼ inch (3 cm) meatballs. Set them aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Cook the Aromatics: Heat the ghee in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and the whole dried red chili pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions become golden brown and fragrant.
- Add Spices and Yogurt: Stir in the ginger paste and garlic paste, cooking for an additional 2 minutes while stirring frequently. Then add the turmeric, ground coriander, and plain yogurt. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally for 3 more minutes to build the flavor base for the sauce.
- Finish the Sauce Base: Pour in the light cream, add salt, and 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the ground almonds and cook for another 5 minutes to thicken and enrich the sauce.
- Simmer the Meatballs: Return the prepared meatballs to the skillet with the sauce. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, carefully turning the meatballs halfway through to ensure they are evenly coated and cooked through in the sauce.
- Serve: Once cooked, serve the chicken kofta korma hot, accompanied by steamed rice or Indian breads such as naan, chapati (roti), or paratha, allowing the creamy, spiced sauce to complement the meal beautifully.
Notes
- Ghee can be substituted with salted butter, but this will alter the rich flavor characteristic of traditional korma.
- To make homemade ginger paste: peel and chop 3 ½ oz (100g) of ginger, then process it in a food processor with ½ cup water until smooth.
- To make homemade garlic paste: peel and chop 3 ½ oz (100g) garlic, process with ½ cup water in a food processor until smooth.
- Both ginger and garlic pastes can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen in ice cube trays for longer storage.
- Recipe adapted from “Spice Kitchen” by Ragini Dey.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 155 mg
