A Culinary Journey: What Does Chicken Kurma Taste Like?

Everyone who’s had the pleasure of eating Indian dishes will know that they are packed with flavor.

Indian cuisine has never shied away from spice and seasonings.

Whenever this particular cuisine is served on occasions or celebrations, it’s always a competition of which dish has more taste and flavor.

The chicken korma is one such dish that has slowly started gaining popularity in the West.

It has become so popular that people have even compared it to butter chicken, a classic north Indian curry.

If you’re still new to Indian curries and want to know which one you should try, you’re in the right place.

Keep reading to find out what does chicken kurma taste like and how you can make it at home.

What Is Chicken Kurma?

Chicken Kurma is basically a chicken curry that has been braised in curd and vegetables.

The word ‘kurma,’ also spelled ‘korma,’ is derived from ‘qormā,’ a hindi-urdu word meaning ‘braised.

‘ It refers to the cooking process used to make this dish.

This item is categorized as a curry because it has all the essential elements that are required to make a dish a curry.

It’s got a spice mixture that acts as a sauce, a protein source, vegetables, and a thickening agent.

Indian curries also include curry tree leaves that can impart more aroma and add a different dimension to the overall flavor profile.

The Mughals were the first to introduce this flavorful curry while expanding into East Asia.

The dish likely originated in about the 16th century in the court kitchens of the Mughal royals.

So, yes.

This dish was literally made for royalty.

Traditionally, this food item required a variety of vegetables, spices, and any protein that the monarchs might consume braised in either yogurt or coconut milk.

What Does Chicken Kurma Taste Like?

When hearing or thinking about any food from India, people immediately assume it will be extremely spicy and hot.

This is a widespread misconception that is slowly being broken down these days.

Not all Indian food is spicy or hot most are delightful and very pleasant on the palate.

The Chicken Korma is one such dish that is considered a mild Indian curry.

It has intense flavors that excite the palate and make it exceedingly enjoyable to consume.

It does not bite back or pack a punch, and you won’t ‘feel it’ later on.

The dish has so many different layers of flavors that it would be hard to break down each one.

There’s the base, with all the spices that will give the dish its unique aromatic finesse.

Most notable is the garam masala, which offers a smokiness and warmth to the overall taste.

The other spices are also essential and add their own element to the flavor profile creating an explosion of flavor.

The meat and the veggies impart a savory element that will enhance the sauce and help extract the essence from the spices.

Finally, braising all of these unique ingredients in curd or coconut milk will help marry the different flavor profiles together.

This culmination of tastes finally comes together to create this fantastic meal that the great rulers of ancient India enjoyed, and now it can be enjoyed by you.

How to Cook Chicken Kurma?

The chicken kurma is an effortless dish to create if you are used to handling Indian spices and cooking desi food.

It’s one of the simplest dishes; you could even call it a one-pot recipe.

All you have to do is add all the assortments into one pan and cook it until the meat is tender and aromatic.

There are many modern variations of this classic Mughlai dish in the world today.

Many in the UK enjoy this curry with nuts like cashews, almonds, and coconut milk.

The curry has gained so much popularity that nowadays, people prefer it over the traditional chicken tikka masala, the national dish of the UK.

As the dish is milder than other curries, many like to cook or prepare it at home for the family.

The spices are readily available in any Asian grocery store, and you can select your own binding agents, like yogurt or coconut cream.

The rest of the items are your everyday kitchen items like onions, tomatoes, etc.

For those who aren’t keen on preparing meat, you can dice up your favorite vegetables and create a vegetarian version to enjoy.

The kurma recipe is pretty flexible and can be used to cook other types of protein too.

When looking online, you’re bound to find many variations of the dish, like navratan korma or Eid Korma.

Conclusion

One of the simplest dishes to cook and serve, the chicken korma is slowly becoming a favorite go-to meal.

No prior preparation or marination is required, and you can just put everything together in a pot and start cooking it.

It has some of the most complex flavors palates for such a simple dish and is best served with hot basmati rice or flatbread.

The dish is a quick and easy way to impress all your friends and family with a flavor-packed meal.