My Chicken Korma
⏲ ~25 min total · prep 16 · cook 9 · 4 servings
Lunch⏱ 50 min total🔥 4.0g net carbs⚡ ≈500 kcal/serving~7% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup blanched almonds
- 1/3 cup water, plus 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander and 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 3 whole green cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, and 2 cloves
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Blend the almonds with 1/3 cup water and the heavy cream in a blender until completely smooth, at least 1 minute; set aside.
- Melt the ghee in a deep 10-inch skillet over medium, add the cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, and fry 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Season the chicken with the salt and turmeric, raise the heat to medium-high, and sear in two batches until pale gold, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
- Add the onion to the same pan and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring, until deep golden at the edges — this sweetness is the backbone of korma, do not rush it.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, and coriander and cook 1 minute, then return the chicken and any juices to the pan.
- Pour in the almond cream, bring to a bare simmer, and cook uncovered 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Fish out the whole spices, stir in the garam masala, rest the curry 5 minutes off the heat, and finish with cilantro.
Why this recipe works
- Almond cream, not flour Blanched almonds blended with water and heavy cream until completely smooth give korma its body. No flour, no cornstarch, and the sauce coats a spoon through a fifteen-minute uncovered simmer.
- Whole spices, then out Cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick, and cloves fry in ghee for thirty seconds to perfume the oil, then get fished out before serving. You get the aroma without anyone biting down on a pod.
- Four net carbs Four net carbs per serving for a curry this rich. The sauce is cream, almonds, and ghee, so the onion is carrying nearly all of the small count.
Tips for making this recipe well
Blend the almond cream longer than feels needed
At least a full minute in the blender. Grit left in the almonds shows up as graininess in the finished sauce, and no amount of simmering fixes it.
Do not rush the onion
Eight to ten minutes to deep golden at the edges is the backbone of the dish. Pale onion leaves the curry flat no matter what the spices do.
Sear in two batches
Crowded thighs steam and leak water into the ghee. Two quick batches, about two minutes per side, keep the pan hot and the color pale gold.
Keep the simmer bare
The almond cream should tremble, not boil. A hard boil can push the sauce toward breaking, and fifteen minutes of gentle heat cooks the chicken through anyway.
Rest it five minutes off the heat
The garam masala goes in after the heat is off, and the curry sits for five minutes before the cilantro. The sauce thickens slightly in that window and the spices settle.
Serving suggestions
Serve it from the pan once the five-minute rest is done, with the cilantro scattered over and the whole spices already fished out. Each serving carries 4 net carbs, and the fifty minutes includes the blending, searing, and gentle simmer. Cauliflower rice is the obvious partner and does the soaking work well; the sauce is thick enough that some people skip the rice entirely and eat it from a bowl. Spoon the almond cream generously. It is the reason to make this.
Storage and meal prep
The curry keeps 3 to 4 days covered in the fridge, and the sauce tightens noticeably when cold. Warm it slowly over low heat with a splash of water to loosen it back to a spoon-coating consistency. Freezing works for 2 to 3 months, though cream sauces can look slightly separated after thawing; a few minutes of gentle stirring while reheating brings it back together. The chicken stays tender through the reheat, which is one advantage of thighs over breast in a make-ahead curry.
Variations worth trying
- A little heat A minced green chili with the garlic and ginger adds warmth the korma does not have as written. Traditional versions run mild, so start with one.
- Lamb instead Stew-length lamb pieces work with the same sauce but need a longer, covered simmer until tender. Budget an extra forty-five minutes or so.
- Richer sauce Replace a quarter cup of the cream with more blended almonds for an even thicker finish. Keep the simmer gentle, since the sauce gets tighter as it goes.
- Nut-free direction This is a hard swap, since the almond cream is the body of the sauce. Sunflower seed butter blended the same way is the closest stand-in, with a slightly greener flavor.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chicken breast?
You can, but watch the clock. Breast cooks through faster than thigh and dries out in the fifteen-minute simmer, so pull a piece and check early.
Do I have to fish out the whole spices?
It is worth the minute. The pods and stick have given up their flavor by the end, and finding a clove in a spoonful is nobody's idea of a good time.
Why is my sauce grainy?
The almond cream was not blended long enough. It needs at least a minute in the blender to go completely smooth, and graininess cannot be simmered away later.
How spicy is korma?
As written, it is mild. The warmth comes from cardamom, cinnamon, and coriander rather than chili, which is why korma is the curry people order when they want gentle.
Can I make the almond cream ahead?
Yes, a day ahead in a sealed jar in the fridge. Stir or re-blend briefly before it goes in the pan, since it settles as it stands.
Related keto recipes
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Keto Food Ideas earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Nutritional values are estimates. Recipes are developed with AI assistance and reviewed by our editors before publishing.
← More Lunch recipes · Home
