Description
Chicken Kofta Korma is a comforting Indian dish featuring tender ground chicken meatballs simmered in a rich, creamy, and aromatic korma sauce. This flavorful recipe combines warm spices, fresh herbs, and a luscious blend of yogurt and cream to create a delectable meal perfect to serve with rice or traditional Indian bread 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 kofta mixture: 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 well with your hands until everything is fully integrated. Using wet hands, shape the mixture into meatballs about 1 ¼ inches (3cm) in diameter. Set the formed meatballs aside.
- Sauté the onions and chili: 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 turn golden brown and fragrant.
- Add aromatics and spices: Stir in the ginger paste and garlic paste, cooking for an additional 2 minutes while stirring frequently to release their flavors. Then add the turmeric powder, ground coriander, and the plain yogurt. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes to blend the spices into the mixture.
- Make the sauce: Pour in the light cream, add salt, and add 1 cup of water. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the ground almonds and continue cooking for another 5 minutes to thicken and enrich the sauce.
- Cook the meatballs in the sauce: Carefully return the prepared meatballs to the skillet with the sauce. Cover the skillet and let the meatballs cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Turn the meatballs carefully halfway through cooking to ensure they are evenly coated and cooked in the sauce.
- Serve: Once cooked through and tender, serve the chicken kofta korma hot, accompanied by steamed rice or Indian breads such as naan, chapati, or paratha.
Notes
- Ghee can be substituted with salted butter, though the flavor will be less rich and less authentic.
- Homemade ginger paste: Peel and chop 3 ½ oz (100g) fresh ginger, then process in a food processor with ½ cup water until smooth.
- Homemade garlic paste: Peel and chop 3 ½ oz (100g) fresh garlic and process with ½ cup water until smooth.
- Both homemade pastes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen in ice cube trays for convenient future use.
- Recipe adapted from the book “Spice Kitchen” by Ragini Dey.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
