Whole30 Chicken Korma

This fabulous chicken korma recipe is my take on an Indian dish of chicken simmered in a bath of ginger, garlic, onions, spices, coconut cream & tomato sauce. This easy recipe is dairy free, paleo and Whole30 compliant!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword dairy-free curry recipe, healthy chicken curry, healthy chicken korma

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 555kcal

Author Monica Le

Ingredients

Marinade

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs rinsed and patted dry
½ cup coconut cream or yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
¼ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt

Sauce

4 tablespoons ghee or grass-fed butter, split in two
1 large yellow onion diced
8 garlic cloves minced
1 heaping teaspoon ginger minced
1 bell pepper chopped
15 ounces tomato sauce no salt added
16 ounces canned coconut milk or coconut cream
1 heaping teaspoon garam masala
1 heaping teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon mustard seed powder
sea salt and black pepper to taste
cilantro for topping
pine nuts for topping
1 ½ tablespoons arrowroot flour
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Put chicken in a bowl, Tupperware container or gallon freezer bag and marinate with coconut cream/yogurt and spices. Set aside.
Heat up a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add ghee and allow it to melt completely. Add onions and cook until completely dark golden-brown. Be very careful not to burn them, as they will begin to get dark after 10-15 minutes.
Add ginger and garlic and sauté for a few more minutes.
Add all spices (except mustard seed) and let them bloom for a minute. Add your chicken mixture and briefly stir-fry to coat chicken with the masala you’ve made. I left my thighs whole during this process, and I recommend it.
Add bell pepper and tomato sauce and cover the pan. Let everything simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add coconut cream and ground mustard seed. Add the rest of the ghee. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Give it a try and add salt and black pepper, to taste. To make the arrowroot slurry, combine arrowroot with water and mix well until smooth. Slowly pour in a little at a time into the pot while stirring. Keep adding until it reaches your desired thickness.
Garnish with cilantro, extra coconut cream and some pine nuts, if you'd like. Serve on a bed of cauliflower rice, regular rice or with naan bread.

Notes

Mustard seed: Feel free to use fenugreek instead of mustard seed powder. I just had a hard time finding it at my local grocery store.
Chicken thighs: You can dice your chicken up after it has cooked or leave it as is. It'll be so soft, I wouldn't worry too much about it!

Nutrition