Almond Yogurt Chicken Korma

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This creamy chicken korma curry made with almond milk yogurt is naturally dairy-free, making it a great option for those who are lactose intolerant. Mildly spiced and fragrant, it goes great with rice and Indian breads.

It has been a while since I shared a traditional Indian curry recipe with you guys. The omission wasn’t intentional, I just get carried away with baking and desserts every now and then… haha! Today’s recipe is a unique twist on a classic korma, which is a mildly spiced, fragrant and creamy curry. Korma can be made with chicken, lamb, boiled eggs or seasonal vegetables, and is a much-loved recipe at dinner parties.

Korma is a rich curry with a ground paste of cashew nuts and almonds added to make the curry thick. Usually a generous amount of cream is also added towards the end to make it extra creamy. I absolutely love korma, but only enjoy it rarely because it is so rich. Of late, I have also found that eating foods rich in dairy causes me to be slightly uncomfortable afterwards. It was time to find an alternative to all that cream in my favorite korma recipe.

One way to make korma creamy without using dairy cream is to use coconut milk and this recipe here details how to do it. But I was missing the real deal and needed a way to get my creamy korma fix without the dairy and lactose. I have been seeing the Silk Plain Almond Dairy – Free Yogurt Alternative in our local Walmart store lately. It comes conveniently packed in individual servings for a quick dairy-free snack, but I saw no reason why I shouldn’t cook with it like regular yogurt.

The Silk Plain Almond Dairy – Free Yogurt Alternative is smooth and creamy, non-GMO, plus absolutely dairy-Free AND lactose-free. Silk is great to create a “lightened up” version recipe to help with small victories on my path to find a plant-based dairy alternative. The yogurt comes in plain, vanilla, peach and strawberry flavors for good-tasting, feel-good, purposeful nutrition options.

Make sure to sign up and use the Ibotta offer (buy any 2 varieties to get $0.75 off) while shopping for Silk yogurt products at Walmart. And while you are there, make sure to also pick up a carton of Silk Unsweetened AlmondMilk to use in this recipe as well.

To make this almond yogurt chicken korma, we will begin by marinating chicken pieces in Silk Plain Almond Dairy – Free Yogurt Alternative, lemon juice, garam masala and salt. You can marinate the chicken for a few hours in the fridge if you have time, or a quick marinade for half an hour while you prep the rest of the curry also works. Just do whatever you are in the mood for. If you need korma in a hurry, go ahead by all means. If you are able to plan ahead, then all the better.

The korma curry base is chopped onions, ginger garlic, green chilies, tomatoes and simple spices sautéed in oil and blended to make a smooth korma curry paste. The marinated chicken is added to this curry paste and cooked until fall-off-the-bone tender. I added a generous cup of Silk Unsweetened AlmondMilk to make the korma extra rich and creamy without using dairy cream. It worked like a charm and this almond chicken korma has actually become our favorite now.

It goes excellently with a side of steamed basmati rice. You can also serve the chicken korma with any sort of Indian breads like naan and rotisserie too.

While I neither endorse nor practice extreme healthy cooking measures, I do believe that healthy and mindful choices should be made wherever and whenever possible. When we have people over for dinner, I like to address their diet concerns while deciding on the menu. So plant-based Silk milk and yogurt alternatives are perfect for lactose-intolerant people who can now enjoy any recipe! For a vegan version, simply omit the chicken and make this easy korma recipe with an assortment of seasonal vegetables (I normally use diced potatoes, carrots, green beans, cauliflower florets and green peas).

Here’s the simple recipe for Almond Yogurt Chicken Korma.

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Almond Yogurt Chicken Korma

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

This creamy chicken korma curry made with almond milk yogurt is naturally dairy-free, making it a great option for those who are lactose intolerant. Mildly spiced and fragrant, it goes great with rice and Indian breads.

Author: Anjana Devasahayam

Recipe type: Main, Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

You will need:

For the marinade,

• Chicken - 2 lbs (skinless, bone-in pieces preferred)
• Silk Plain Almond Dairy - Free Yogurt Alternative - 1 tub (5.3 oz)
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp

For korma curry paste,

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Red onion - 1, chopped
• Ginger - 1 tbsp, grated
• Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
• Green chilies - 2-3 (as per taste, also see Notes)
• Tomato - 1, chopped
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Coriander powder - ½ tsp
• Cumin powder - ½ tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

For the korma,

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon - 1" stick
• Cloves - 2
• Green cardamom - 2 pods
• Dried bay leaves - 2
• Korma curry paste - see above
• Marinated chicken - see above
• Silk Unsweetened AlmondMilk - 1 cup
• Crushed black pepper - ½ tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Cilantro leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp

How to:

1. In a large bowl, rub the chicken with rest of the marinade ingredients. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours if possible. Otherwise, let it rest in the fridge while you prep the other ingredients.
2. To make the curry paste, heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Saute until onions are soft and just beginning to turn light golden in color.
3. Add tomatoes and cook until very soft. Then add the spice powders and saute for a couple of minutes on low heat, taking care not to burn the spices.
4. Remove pan from heat and cool down this mixture. Blend to a smooth paste, adding some of the almond milk if needed. Set aside.
5. Return the pan to the stove and heat up the last tablespoon of oil. Add whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves) and fry them for a few seconds until fragrant.
6. Now add the prepared korma curry paste and chicken along with the marinade liquid in the bowl.
7. Stir together to coat the chicken well with the curry paste. Add the almond milk, pepper and salt and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat, cover and cook until chicken is tender. Then open the lid and reduce gravy to desired thickness.
9. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice before turning off the stove. Cover the korma and let it rest for some time before serving to further develop the flavors. Serve chicken korma with steamed rice or Indian breads like rotis, naan, etc.

Notes:

1. I used 2 small Serrano peppers in this recipe. You can also use Thai green chilies. We are not using any red chili powder in this recipe, so the heat comes only from the green chilies. So you can adjust the amount to suit your taste. You can start with one chili, blend and taste the curry paste, then use more if needed.
2. You can also use lamb instead of chicken.
3. For a completely vegetarian/vegan version, use a medley of vegetables instead of meat. Use 1 large diced potato and 2 cups of mixed vegetables (chopped carrots, green beans, cauliflower, green peas, etc). You can also stir in a handful of fresh spinach leaves for more color and a nutritional boost.

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Do you like korma? Have you tried making it at home? Have you tried substituting dairy in curry recipes? Do give my dairy free korma recipe a try and let me know how you like it.

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