Nawabi Chicken Korma – A Royal Mughlai Delight!

Ingredients Checklist (Tap as You Prep)

• 1 ½ lbs (680g) boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
• ¾ cup full-fat strained Greek yogurt, whisked smooth at room temperature
• ⅓ cup raw cashews + 2 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds, soaked in warm water
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced and caramelized golden-brown (birista)
• 2 tablespoons grass-fed ghee or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste + 4 green cardamom pods + 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 ½ teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder + 1 teaspoon ground coriander + ¾ teaspoon garam masala
• Pinch of saffron threads steeped in 2 tablespoons warm milk + ¼ cup fresh cilantro

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

1. Caramelize the Birista & Blend the Royal Paste: In a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet, fry the sliced onions in ghee over medium heat for 10 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove half the onions and blend with the soaked cashews, almonds, and ⅓ cup water into a velvet paste.
2. Bloom the Whole Aromatics: Add the green cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and ginger-garlic paste to the remaining ghee and onions, sautéing for 60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Sear the Chicken & Spices: Add the chicken pieces, Kashmiri chili, coriander, and kosher salt, searing over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until golden on the exterior.
4. Fold in Yogurt & Cashew-Almond Cream: Lower the heat, slowly stir in the room-temperature whisked Greek yogurt and blended cashew-onion paste, and simmer covered for 12–15 minutes until the chicken is tender and oil glistens on the surface.
5. Perfume with Saffron & Garam Masala: Swirl in the steeped saffron milk and garam masala, rest 3 minutes off the heat, and garnish with toasted almond slivers and cilantro.