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Chicken Korma with Coconut Milk

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Chicken Korma with coconut milk and cashews – a rich and creamy curry that’s mildly spiced and easy to make! Serve over cauliflower rice for a hearty and healthy low carb meal! | Gluten Free + Paleo + Whole30

Chicken Korma with Coconut Milk in a cast iron skillet and topped with cilantro

Let’s be real.

Curries can look really intimidating to make. They always have these huge ingredients lists and the flavours are always so complex and delicious that it just feels like a lot. Ya know?

Well. Difficult, this is not. Glancing briefly at the ingredients and instructions here this chicken korma with coconut milk might look like a lot it’s actually a pretty easy, straight forward curry that takes about 30 minutes to make with ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

Personally, the most challenging thing about making this is chopping the onions. I am a total wimp when it comes to onions. Just standing over a hot pan full of onions is enough to make my eyes burn but it’s so worth it in the end.

So let’s get cookin’!

How to Make: Chicken Korma with Coconut Milk

Altogether this curry can be made in about 30 minutes. It’s made almost entirely in one pan, though you will need a blender or even a small food processor as well.

Start off by simply frying up your cubed chicken in coconut oil. Cook for about five minutes and then remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. It’s alright if the chicken isn’t 100% cooked through at this stage because you will be adding it back to your dish later.

Moving on: it’s time to pull out the blender. We’re basically going to be making out own ginger/garlic/onion paste by blending them all up with a little water until smooth and watery. Normally in curries like these you’d be asked to use a pre made or pre bought paste, but we’re just going to make it because it’s faster, easier and cheaper.

Note: This recipe calls for two onions. One onion (the roughly chopped one) will be blended along with the garlic and ginger while the other is chopped and fried separately.

In the same pan you used to cook the chicken, heat the remaining coconut oil and begin frying your remaining onion. Cook for about 10 minutes until it’s soft and slightly browned. Add the spices and onion puree and cook for about a minute.

Stir in the coconut milk and chicken stock and let that mixture simmer and reduce into a nice, thick, golden-brown sauce. At this point all you need to do is add in the chicken and cashews and cook another 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked and piping hot. Top it off with some fresh cilantro and serve!

Chicken Korma with Coconut Milk in a cast iron skillet and topped with cilantro

This chicken korma with coconut milk is a great option for people who are sensitive to spicy foods. It’s a pretty mild curry with only 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder. You can also reduce that amount down even more to 1/4 teaspoon if you really want to play it safe.

If you’re looking for a Whole30/low carb meal, serve this over warmed cauliflower rice and you’re all set! Otherwise a side of gluten free flatbread or naan and regular rice is also a great option!

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Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Korma with Coconut Milk

Chicken Korma with Coconut Milk

Chicken Korma with coconut milk and cashews - a rich and creamy curry that's mildly spiced and easy to make! Serve over cauliflower rice for a hearty and healthy low carb meal! | Gluten Free + Paleo + Whole30

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 4 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts seasoned with black pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 brown onions (one quartered and another chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, crushed or finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground corriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, (use 1/4 teaspoon if you're extra sensitive to spicy food)
  • 1 cup full fat unsweetened coconut milk or coconut cream from a can
  • 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • fresh cilantro for topping

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large pan or skillet. Add the chicken and cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally until almost fully cooked through. Transfer the chicken to plate or bowl and set aside. 
  2. Add the quartered onion (saving the other chopped onion for later), the garlic, ginger and water to a blender or small food processor and blend into a puree. Set aside momentarily. 
  3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil to the same pan you used to cook the chicken. Once warm add the chopped onions and sauté the onions for 10 minutes until soft and browned. 
  4. Stir in the onion, garlic & ginger puree along with the cumin, coriander, turmeric garam masala and chili powder. Cook 1 minute.
  5. Add the coconut milk (or cream) and chicken stock and let simmer for at least 5 minutes. Let the mixture reduce down and thicken slightly. 
  6. Add the chicken to the pan along with the cashews and cook another 5 minutes until the chicken cooked through and piping hot.
  7. Garnish with fresh cilantro and more cashews if you'd like and serve hot over rice.

Notes

Nut Alternatives: You can replace the cashews with flaked almonds or another nut of choice or omit them altogether.

Coconut Milk: I recommend using a full fat coconut milk from a can as opposed to reduced fat or carton milk. The extra fat will yield a creamier curry. You can also just use straight coconut cream or regular dairy cream if you can tolerate dairy/don't need this to be Whole30 compliant. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 396 Saturated Fat: 18g Cholesterol: 72mg Sodium: 756mg Carbohydrates: 12g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 3g Protein: 29g
© Sarah
Cuisine: Indian / Category: Mains

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Comments

  3. Thank you for sharing! I had all these things in the fridge and decided to whip it up and it was so easy and tasty!! I added some broccoli too as i had this in the fridge as well and was great with the sauce. I would totally make this again.

    Reply

  4. UPGRADED COMMENT/REVIEW:
    I can’t figure how to edit original comment, so I thought it was fair to add an upgraded one. I have since remade the recipe several times with Unsweetened Coconut milks and creams. (Creams are a little nicer if you can find them).
    The recipe is outstanding, and so easy to make. I knew originally it had potential, I just needed the right coconut milk.

    TIP: One update I would suggest is to marinate chicken beforehand if you have the time. On one of my cooking days, I decided to prep the chicken earlier in day. I placed in bowl and then decided to marinate with all the spices and savories in the recipe. I sprinkled in some oil, and each of the spices, including salt and black pepper, over the chicken pieces (go light on Chili if you find it overwhelming) For the savories (Onion, Garlic and Ginger), I sprinkled onion powder, garlic powder and ground ginger. It sat throughout the day, cover in plastic wrap, in fridge while I spent the day out. When I made it that evening, as directed, there was so much added depth of flavor. ENJOY!!

    Reply

    • Hi Eric! Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know how it went the second time around! Sorry again about my mistake not listing the right coconut cream!

      I love your recommendation for marinating the chicken too – definitely worth doing!

      Reply

  5. I wanted to love it. Made it exactly as directed in recipe. It was basically a very easy recipe with only a little effort needed was for various chopping and mixer steps. I used coconut cream, as that is what I had in pantry. Same exact spices and steps followed, but in the end it was just too sweet. Almost like syrup. Very surprised because it looked amazing, and as a fan of korma I know it can usually have a fragrant touch of sweet flavor, but this was overbearing. My first time cooking with coconut cream. Usually use it for tropical cocktails. I may try one more time using coconut milk, but am a little wary. That’s a lot of good chicken to go to waste.

    Reply

    • Hi Eric – sorry to hear that!

      Can I ask what kind of coconut cream you used – was it sweetened or unsweetened? Coconut milk/cream should have a natural sweetness to it but it shouldn’t be enough to make this taste syrupy. I ask because I just went back and looked through the recipe and notice that I didn’t specify that it should have been unsweetened. I’m so used to cooking with a certain type of coconut milk that I forget that sweetened coconut products are still very popular and widely used (like in cocktails). If that was the problem then I am so sorry – that is completely my fault!

      Reply

      • It did have sugar added. The only Cream of Coconut I have ever found in my area supermarkets/grocers are all with sugar. They’re canned and are made by companies that rhyme with ‘Hoya” or “Loco Copez.” After I made it, I went searching for other versions, including in some International markets (I’m in NYC, we have many) to no avail. I am going to try again with Coconut Milk I have, which is unsweetened, and hopefully it will be great.
        I did like the spice blend and ease of this recipe, so I want it to work. I also know past versions I’ve tried have a slightly sweet taste, usually from added coconut and cinnamon spice, so mild sweetness was expected, just not the amount I got from the canned Cream. That was just too much.
        I’ll keep you updated on how the milk works, I just like the idea of something creamier. I did a search for unsweetened creams after your comment, and found many. Sadly none I can buy locally, so I will have to buy online for future use when I get a chance.

        Reply

        • You’re in NY love. You can find anything here. If all else fails get the coco cream at Trader Joe’s.

          Reply

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