This chicken qorma will take you back to a desi wedding with it’s beautiful aromas and incredible flavor.
Chicken qorma is a quintessential menu item for a North-Indian muslim wedding. If there would be only one thing on the menu (although that is never the case), it will be qorma. It is loaded with spices and ghee, hence it’s very aromatic and rich in flavor. It is best paired with naan.
Can This Be Made Ahead Of Time?
Yes, qorma is ideal for making ahead of time. It even tastes better the next day because the spices get to penetrate the chicken while sitting in the fridge. You can refrigerate it up to 3 days or freeze it up to 6 weeks.
What Kind Of Chicken Should Be Used for This Recipe?
Bone-in chicken is best to use for this recipe. Legs, thighs and wings are great. I keep the skin on, but you can take it off if that is preferable for you. I would not recommend using boneless chicken breast as it can get dry and rubbery during the cooking process.
What Ingredients Will Be Needed?
Here’s a list of the ingredients with pictures
Note:
- You can find all the listed spices at an Indian store.
- If you can’t find mace, you can substitute it with a pinch of nutmeg instead.
- Ginger-garlic paste can be made at home by peeling equal amounts of ginger and garlic and then blending them until smooth. You can also use a mortar and pestle to blend them. Store-bought ginger-garlic could also be used.
- If you prefer less heat, reduce the amount of red chili powder and black pepper.
Watch the video instructions to easily follow the recipe
Wedding Style Chicken Qorma
Ingredients
- 25 grams (15 pcs) cashew nuts
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ piece mace (or a pinch freshly grated nutmeg)
- a tiny piece nutmeg (or â…› tsp nutmeg powder)
- 70 garms (¼ cup) ghee
- 3 medium brown onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 kg bone-in chicken (with or without skin)
- 2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1 Tbsp of each if using separate)
- a big stick of cinnamon
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 125 grams (½ cup) full fat yogurt
- 1 tsp kewra water
Instructions
- Put the cashew nut into a bowl and pour hot water onto them, enough to cover the cashews completely. Cover and leave until needed.
- To make the spice mix: Remove the green and black cardamom seeds from the pods. Discard the cover and add the seeds into a mortar and pestle (or a grinder), along with black peppercorns and mace.Grind until a homogenous (coarse) powder is formed. Rub the nutmeg onto a fine grater to add about a pinch of it into the spice mix (or add nutmeg powder, if using).
- Put a pot on medium heat and add the ghee. Once the ghee has melted, add the onion and fry, stirring frequently until it is golden brown.
- Once the onion is golden brown, turn off heat and immediately take the fried onion out from the pot, skimming the fat (leave the remaining ghee into the pot). Set the fried onion aside until needed.
- Put the pot back on medium heat with the remaining ghee. Once hot, add the chicken and spread it all over the pan. Let it brown for a minute, then flip and saute from the other sides as well.
- Once the chicken has changed color on all sides, add the ginger-garlic paste and mix. Saute for a minute.
- Turn heat on low. Add the cinnamon stick, along with coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix thoroughly and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add small splashes of water to prevent the spices from burning.
- In the meantime, let's prepare a paste. Add the fried onion, the soaked cashews (along with the water) and yogurt to a blender. Blend until smooth. You can add some more water if it is too thick to be blended.
- Back to the chicken: Add the prepared paste, spice mix and 150 ml water to the pot and mix to combine. Cover and let cook on low heat for 30 minutes (or until the chicken is completely cooked through).
- Turn off heat and add kewra water. Mix to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with fresh, homemade naans.
Loved it, yummy and super awesome
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