Instant Pot Chicken Korma is a mildly spiced coconut chicken curry recipe that’s delicious enough to impress guests but easy enough to make on a weeknight. Put away the jar of store-bought korma sauce and make this curry from scratch with little effort.
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I love this recipe because it’s a mild curry that appeals to all palates. This recipe is a great way to introduce someone to Indian food.
The spices give this dish fragrance and flavor, while the coconut milk gives the curry a rich, creamy quality. It’s also a versatile recipe because you can add more veggies or make it vegetarian.
What is Korma?
The word korma means ‘braise’. Kormas are mild Indian curries braised in yogurt, broth, water, or cream. Korma traces its origins to the royal North Indian (Mughal) kitchens.
Regional Variations
In North Indian cooking, korma is traditionally made with yogurt and cream and is garnished with sauteed raisins and nuts.
In South India, korma is made with coconut. The South Indian (Kerala) version is also called Malabari Chicken Korma (or kurma), and I’m partial to the South Indian version.
A traditional South Indian chicken korma recipe is made with grated coconut and has the added ingredient of white poppy seeds (khus khus).
Simplifying the Recipe
I wanted this recipe to be as easy as possible so I’ve eliminated the need to bring out the blender. I substitute coconut milk for the grated coconut and omit the poppy seeds.
➡ Looking for Instant Pot South Indian recipes? Try my authentic Instant Pot chicken curry or Kerala Instant Pot beef curry made with coconut milk. Fish molly, Parippu curry Kerala style, and Kerala sambar are also some favorites!
Another popular recipe in Indian restaurants is butter chicken. Find out what the difference is between chicken korma vs butter chicken!
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients you’ll need to make Indian chicken korma
💡 Recipe Tips
🥥 Coconut Oil or Ghee: Use either one instead of regular oil for added flavor. Coconut oil and ghee are widely available, or you can easily make ghee at home.
🧅 Onions: Sauté briefly for a light golden color. Saute longer for deeper flavor. The longer you cook the onions (without burning), the better the taste.
🍗 Marinating the chicken: Marinate the chicken thighs in spices for 2-4 hours with the powdered spices and salt for richer flavor. If short on time, even a 30-minute marinade helps. When adding the chicken, saute it briefly so the spices lose their raw flavor.
🥄 Deglazing the pot: After sauteing spices and onions, deglaze the pot with water or broth to prevent the food burn message and incorporate flavor.
🌶️ Kashmiri chili powder: This bright red Indian spice adds color without too much heat. Adjust the quantity based on your spice tolerance. Substitute with cayenne or jalapeño (slit down the middle) for extra heat. Substitute with paprika for less spice.
🫙 Fennel: Grind whole fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle or a dedicated spice grinder. Whole seeds maintain freshness longer than pre-ground fennel.
🍅 Tomato paste: It can burn quickly if the inner pot is too. Keep a close eye while sauteing. Deglaze with 1-2 tablespoons of chicken broth or water if sticking occurs.
🥛 Coconut milk: Use full-fat coconut milk. I recommend Aroy-D and Chaokoh brands. Some readers have used Trader Joe’s brand coconut milk.
🧈 Cashew butter: If you can’t find cashew butter, try this homemade alternative:
- Blend two tablespoons of roasted cashews into a very smooth paste
- Add only enough water or broth to achieve the desired consistency
- Caution: Adding too much liquid may result in a grainy, watery mixture
❓ FAQS
Substitute chicken with paneer or chickpeas.
Yes, you can substitute chicken breasts for the chicken thighs.
For a heartier meal, you can vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, or potatoes.
Cooking Instructions
⏲️ Instant Pot Method
- Saute spices, onions, tomatoes and add chicken
- Pressure cook and release pressure
- Thicken the curry.
Saute spices, onions, tomatoes and add chicken
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Once the inner pot has heated up, add oil or ghee. Add whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves) when the oil is hot, and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
- Add onion, ginger, and garlic. Saute the onion mixture until onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and saute for a minute or two. [See tip below.] Press Cancel. The spices in the next step will cook in the residual heat.
- Stir in coriander, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, fennel powder, black pepper, and salt. Saute the spices with the onion mixture for about 30 seconds. Deglaze as needed. Add in the chicken, and stir the chicken and spices until combined.
- Add broth and 1 cup of coconut milk and stir till combined.
✏️ PRO TIP TO PREVENT STICKING
- If the tomato paste starts to stick to the bottom or burn, add a tablespoon or two of broth to deglaze, and continue sauteing. If you’re prone to getting the burn message, add the tomato paste to the curry right before pressure cooking, without stirring it in.
Program the Instant Pot and release pressure
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 04:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a 15 minute natural release of pressure or a full natural release. Once the float valve goes down, the lid can be opened.
Thicken the Korma Curry
- Stir in the cashew butter and remaining coconut milk.
- Select Saute mode, and cook for a minute or two until thickened and heated through, stirring frequently.
- Press Cancel and stir in chopped cilantro if desired. Serve pressure cooker chicken korma hot buttered naan or steamed Instant Pot white rice (pot in pot rice), Instant Pot brown basmati, or Instant Pot jasmine rice.
♨️ Stovetop Method
- Saute the whole spices.
- Saute onions and tomato paste.
- Saute the powdered spices.
- Saute the chicken briefly.
- Stir in broth and coconut milk. Simmer until chicken is tender.
- Add remaining coconut milk and cashew butter.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Instant Pot Chicken Korma
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
- 2 small bay leaves or 1 large
- 1 cinnamon stick 2 inches
- 5 cardamom pods
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 ½ cups onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste!
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (1.13 kg) cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ¼ cup coconut milk divided (preferably Chaokoh or Aroy-D brand)
- 2 tablespoon cashew butter or almond butter
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped, to garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Select Saute and allow the Instant Pot to heat up. Once the inner pot has heated up, add oil or ghee.
- Once the oil has heated up, add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
- Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger and saute the onion mixture until onions are light golden brown, about 5 minutes. *
- Add tomato paste and stir for a minute. Add a tablespoon or two of broth or water if the tomato begins to stick to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Press Cancel. The spices will cook in the residual heat.
- Stir in coriander, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, fennel, black pepper and salt. Deglaze with a small amount of broth if you find that the spices are burning.
- Stir the spices with the onion mixture for about 30 seconds. Deglaze as needed.
- Add the chicken and stir to coat the chicken with spices. Scrape the bottom of the inner pot to make sure there are no brown bits stuck to the bottom.
- Add broth and 1 cup of coconut milk and stir till combined.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- Do a 15-minute natural release (NPR 15). [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Open the lid and select Saute mode. Add the cashew butter and remaining coconut milk.
- Heat through until thickened, stirring frequently, about 1 or 2 minutes.
- Press Cancel and stir in chopped cilantro.
- Serve with toasted naan or basmati rice.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds
- Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger and saute until onions are light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir for a minute. Add a tablespoon or two of broth or water if the tomato sticks to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Add coriander, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, fennel, black pepper, and salt. Stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken and stir to coat the chicken with spices.
- Add broth and 1 cup of coconut milk and stir till combined. Lower heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in cashew butter and ¼ cup coconut milk, and heat through. Taste the curry and only add the remaining coconut milk if needed. Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. cut up chicken, chopped onion, etc.
- * If the onion starts to stick to the bottom or burn, add a tablespoon of broth to deglaze and continue sauteing. Do this as often as needed until the onions are cooked properly.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Renee says
Wanted to check – you say that marinating the chicken in the spices for 2-4 hours gives it deeper flavor but you do not say which spices to use in the marinade? Should I include all of the spices when marinating?
This recipe looks really good. I am looking forward to trying it!
Thanks!
Neena Panicker says
Hi Renee, sorry about the confusion – yes, all the powdered spices and salt. Then when you add the chicken, saute the chicken for a bit till the spices are fragrant. Deglaze if it sticks to the bottom. Hope you enjoy it!
Dana Vanhove says
So easy, and so delicious! Adding to my “go-to” list!
Neena Panicker says
Dana, thank you for trying the Instant Pot chicken korma recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
anil says
Hi Neena, this is the second recipe I tried from your site and once again a really delicious result. That’s two for two. Thank you.
I want to try the rogan josh but I can’t find lamb anywhere nearby. I could use beef but some tender lamb is just better.
You should publish your recipes into a large glossy book. You already have all the material and such beautiful pictures. The pic at the top of this page is stunning.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Anil, you are very kind – thank you! It’s on my endless list of things to do, hopefully one day. I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken korma. I would definitely try the beef if you can’t find lamb. I do that frequently because lamb can also be really pricey!
Dawn F says
The recipe says 5 ground cloves. Are we supposed to take 5 whole cloves and grind them up or is this supposed to be 5 whole cloves? I want to make this but need the correct amounts.
Thanks!
Dawn
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m so sorry Dawn, that was a typo. It should have said 5 whole cloves. I’ve corrected it. Thank you for asking the question!
Tina says
Made this tonight and it’s absolutely delicious. I followed the directions and amounts exactly but the sauce turned out very thin. I added a corn starch slurry at the end to thicken it up. I’d rather not add corn starch in future though. Any ideas what I can do differently to get that thick rich korma sauce? (I did use full fat (Aroy-D) coconut milk. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you for the comment and rating, Tina! There are a couple of things you could do: 1) reduce or omit the broth. The coconut milk should be enough to come to pressure. 2) Add some more cashew butter. I hope either or both of those work for you. Let me know if you have further issues.
JC says
Love this recipe. I’ve made it about 20 times. Can you help with an issue? I always get 3-4 burn alarms when I cook the Korma. The tomato paste step doesn’t show sticking it’s only after I’ve added chicken, broth, and coconut milk and started the pressure cook. Any tips?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
JC, thanks for your comment. I would try a couple of things. Don’t stir the tomato paste or the chicken into the spices. Instead, add the broth/coconut milk, stir well, add the chicken, and then the tomato paste. I don’t think there will be a noticeable taste difference, but please let me know if you try it 🙂
Chay says
Thanks, it was easy to make (It took me a bit longer but I guess the second time is going to be faster) and it tasted so delicious
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you for commenting and I’m thrilled you liked it. Yes, it will go faster next time. And keep in mind I don’t include chopping time in the prep time.
DK says
Hello, I tried this and came out great. Thanks for the recipe. To get more authentic taste, I would like to use grated coconut instead of coconut milk. How much grated coconut should I use and when do I add it?
Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red says
DK, if you’re not using coconut milk, then use broth or water to cook the chicken. Blend about 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated coconut, a teaspoon white poppy seeds (soaked), and water to form a pesto-like paste and add to the chicken at the end and simmer to thicken.
Denise Feldman says
Another amazing dish! I use 12 curry leaves instead of bay leaves. I love Indian food, so I have my own curry plant. I added eggplant and zucchini when I added the chicken. I stirred in 2 tightly packed cups of spinach when I added the cashew and last of the coconut milk. I garnished with cilantro, radishes cut into matchsticks, and cabbage micro greens. It was beautiful and more importantly delicious. I recommend cooking the onions until a dark brown. So worth the time.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you, Denise! I’m excited that you enjoyed this recipe too. Sounds very healthy, with all the veggies 🙂
Katrina says
Hi! What size of instapot do you use?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Katrina, all my recipes are tested in the 6 quart. But different models including the Ultra, Duo Evo, Duo.
Shannon says
This tasted wonderful but the prep time was closer to 2 hours, not 5 minutes
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Shannon, I’m glad you loved the recipe but sorry that you felt that the prep time was too much. I state on the notes of all my recipes that prep time does not include steps that are accounted for in the recipes. It’s just a recipe-writing convention that I’ve used because prep time can vary e.g. pre-minced garlic and ginger or pre-chopped vegetables. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Elaine says
This looks wonderful! Could I substitute almond butter for the cashew butter without affecting the flavor too much?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Elaine, yes you can for sure. Some north Indian kormas are made with ground almonds. Hope you like it.
DebS says
It looks wonderful, but my daughter has severe nut allergies. Is there any nut-free options I could substitute?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Deb, the cashew butter adds flavor but also thickens the curry. You can omit it and if you feel the curry is too thin, stir in a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water).