Pakistani and Indian Classics
Chicken Degi Korma recipe
Chicken degi korma is a rich chicken curry cooked in yogurt, fried onion and ghee, served with naan or roti at family dinners.

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Serves5 servingsPrep20 minCook50 min
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken, cut into pieces on the bone
- 150 g ghee or 3/4 cup oil mix
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 200 g yogurt (3/4 cup), whisked
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1.5 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 4 green cardamoms and 4 cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 3 green chillies, slit
- Fresh coriander and ginger strips to garnish
Method
- Heat the ghee in a heavy pot on medium heat. Fry the onions for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove half and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the whole spices and the chicken. Fry on high heat for 5 minutes until the chicken turns white.
- Add the ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Lower the heat. Add the yogurt slowly, stirring constantly, to stop it from splitting. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and cooked through with no pink and the ghee floats on top.
- Crush the reserved fried onion and stir it in with the garam masala and green chillies. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander and ginger and serve hot.
Good to know: Add the yogurt on low heat and keep stirring, or it will split. Let the fried onion brown well for the deep colour.