Illustration of chicken pieces in a rich brown qorma sauce, garnished with herbs and sliced almonds.
THE RIZQ FOODSDERA GHAZI KHAN
Recipes

Chicken Qorma recipe

Chicken thighs simmer in a gently spiced yogurt and onion sauce enriched with ground almonds.

An original home-cooking guide from our recipe collection; not an orderable restaurant product. Timings are approximate and may vary with your equipment.

Serves: 4Prep: 25 minCook: 45 min

Ingredients

  • 900 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil or ghee
  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons ground almonds
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
  • 250 ml hot water
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Method

  1. Pat the chicken dry and measure the spices; leave the yogurt at room temperature while preparing the onions.
  2. Heat the oil or ghee in a heavy lidded pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until evenly golden brown.
  3. Transfer the onions to a plate to cool for a few minutes, then finely chop or crush them; leave about 1 tablespoon of the cooking fat in the pan.
  4. Return the pan to medium heat, add garlic and ginger, and stir for 30 seconds; add coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, and salt and stir briefly.
  5. Add the chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes, turning to coat the pieces with the spiced aromatics.
  6. Whisk the yogurt until smooth and stir it into the pan a spoonful at a time over low heat to reduce the chance of curdling.
  7. Stir in the crushed onion and ground almonds, then gradually add the hot water and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
  8. Cover and cook gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is tender and its thickest pieces reach 74°C (165°F) on a food thermometer.
  9. Uncover and simmer for 3–5 minutes to adjust the sauce thickness, then taste for salt and finish with cilantro.

Kitchen notes

  • Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer after adding yogurt rather than boiling it hard.
  • Serve with rice or flatbread.
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