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    Home » Chicken Recipes

    Instant Pot Chicken Korma

    Published: Apr 24, 2017 · Modified: May 10, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 86 Comments

    3555 shares
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    Chicken Korma is a mildly spiced Indian chicken curry made with whole aromatic spices like cardamom, cloves, black pepper, and cumin that are simmered in a light and flavorful yogurt-based sauce. This healthy curry along with pot in pot rice makes a delicious and healthy Indian Instant Pot Dinner in under 30 minutes.

    chicken korma served in a white bowl with naan and rice

    This simple curry never fails to please adults and children. With delicate aromas from whole spices and a mild yogurt-based sauce, this chicken korma makes a yummy everyday meal. It is a great dish for someone who is new to Indian food or is looking for a mild yet flavorful take on Indian curries.

    Korma

    Korma is a mildly spiced flavorful Indian curry with chicken, fish, or vegetables braised in a mildly spiced yogurt, coconut, or nut-based sauce. There are many variations of the Korma or Kurma as they call it in South India.

    Variations 

    In addition to this light yogurt based Chicken Korma, here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy korma:

    • Shahi Chicken Korma - Creamy chicken curry with a hint of sweetness studded with nuts and raisins
    • Veg Kurma - South Indian vegetarian curry with a creamy coconut-based sauce.
    • Navratan Korma - A Royal Mughlai dish with mixed vegetables and creamy cashew sauce. This recipe is in my The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook
    • White Chicken Korma - Creamy chicken curry in a white nutty sauce. Similar to the Shahi Korma recipe, no tomatoes and substitute red chili powder with white pepper and green chiles. Recipe coming up!
    spices for chicken korma

    If you enjoy eating chicken drumsticks or legs, this would be a perfect curry recipe for you to try. This korma can also be made with chicken thighs or breasts with or without bones, although I would recommend making this with thigh meat for a moist and flavorful curry.

    chicken korma served in a white bowl

    Instructions

    Here is my step by step recipe to make Chicken Korma in the Instant Pot:

    Step 1: Heat oil and sauté cardamom, cloves, black pepper, and cumin for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes as the onions turn translucent. You may cover the pot with a non-locking glass lid to speed up the cooking of onions. Add remaining spices, ginger, garlic, and chicken, and give a quick stir. Turn the sauce mode off (photos 1 - 4).

    making chicken korma in the Instant Pot

    Step 2: Optional step if you would like to make pot-in-pot rice at the same time. Rinse and drain white rice. Add rice, water, and salt to a stainless steel pot. Then place a tall trivet in the main pot over the chicken and place the rice container over it (photos 5 - 6).

    how to make pot in pot rice

    Step 3: Close the Instant Pot with the pressure cooking valve to sealing and Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Allow 5-minute natural pressure release and then release the remaining pressure by moving the pressure release valve from sealing to venting. open the Instant Pot and carefully take out the rice and the trivet photos (7 - 8).

    pot in pot rice with chicken curry

    Step 4: Add a few spoonfuls of the curry to the yogurt and mix well. Stir in the yogurt in the chicken korma and gently mix. PRO TIP: Adding cold yogurt to the hot curry can cause it to curdle. To prevent curdling of the yogurt, add a few spoons of hot curry to the yogurt, and mix it well. This will bring up the temperature of the yogurt and make a creamy yogurt mix that can be added to the curry (photos 9 - 12).

    Step 6: Garnish with cilantro

    Chicken Korma

    Serving

    Serve chicken korma with hot steamed rice, parathas, and cucumber salad. For a low-carb meal, serve with cauliflower rice. Note: Be sure to pick out and discard the whole spices while you eat.

    Chicken korma curry served in a white bowl with white rice and naan.

    Do you Enjoy Indian curries? Here are some of my popular Instant Pot curry recipes:

    • Healthy “Butter” Chicken 
    • Prawn Masala
    • Restaurant Fav Chicken Tikka Masala
    • Mom’s Authentic Chicken Curry
    • Indian Fish Curry
    • Quick and Easy Kheema Curry
    • Royal Mughlai Chicken Korma
    • Spicy Homestyle Chicken Karahi

    Looking for vegetarian options or trying to include more plant-based meals in your diet? Then check out my easy vegetarian recipes for dinner.

    ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
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    Instant Pot Chicken Korma

    Here is my EASY Chicken Korma recipe. It is a mild and healthy chicken curry cooked in whole spices and then braised in yogurt-based sauce.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 192kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
    • Tall Trivet
    • Stainless steel pot

    Ingredients

    • 1½ pounds chicken thighs cut into pieces or 6 skinless drumsticks
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 4 whole green cardamom pods
    • 4 cloves
    • 12 black peppercorns
    • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
    • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
    • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ cup water
    • ½ cup full fat or Greek yogurt
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ cup cilantro chopped

    Pot in Pot Rice

    • 1 cup basmati rice rinsed and drained
    • 1½ cups water
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

    Instructions

    • Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat oil. Add whole spices - cardamom, cloves, black pepper, and cumin. Saute for 30 seconds.
    • Add onion and mix well. Saute for 2 minutes covered with glass lid.
    • Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, red chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and salt. Mix well.
    • Add chicken and water. Mix well to evenly coat all the spices to the chicken.
    • Close Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 8 minutes followed by 5-minute Natural Release.
    • Open the Instant Pot, add a few spoonfuls of hot curry to the yogurt and mix well. This step is important to avoid the cold yogurt getting split in the curry.
    • Cook on Saute mode to thicken the sauce. Garnish with chopped cilantro! Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with hot steamed rice and parathas. For a low-carb meal serve with cauliflower rice. Be sure to pick out and discard the whole spices while you eat. 

    Video

    Notes

    • We enjoy this curry a bit soupy. If you want a thick curry, reduce the ¼ cup water by adding only 2 tablespoons of water and saute in the end for a few extra minutes.
    • For boneless chicken thighs or breasts - cook for 5 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release. 

    Pot in Pot Rice

    • In step 5, before closing the Instant pot, add rice, water, and salt to a stainless steel pot.
    • Place a tall trivet in the Instant and place the rice pot over it. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 719mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 282IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg
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    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    1. Judith Roff says

      May 19, 2018 at 2:05 pm

      What happens to the whole spices? Are they edible, or do they to be removed?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 19, 2018 at 2:07 pm

        Hi Judith, we discard the whole spices while serving/eating

        Reply
    2. Uma says

      May 23, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      Hi Archana, I follow a lot of recipe to the T and they turn out to be really yummy except for this recipe till date. The chicken did not get cooked, it was raw. I used 6 chicken like you. Its going back on the manual mode for 5 minutes. Would you know why would that happen.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 23, 2018 at 7:26 pm

        Hi Uma! The only reason I could think of is that the Instant Pot may not have come to pressure properly? Or may be the chicken was frozen in which case it would need longer time to cook.

        Reply
        • Uma says

          May 24, 2018 at 1:32 pm

          Thank you for the reply Archana. The pressure did build up, there was enough liquid and no the chicken was not frozen. We will never know now I think. Nevertheless, after 5 min of more manual hi cooking, the chicken came out delicious. See you in another recipe Archana.

          Reply
          • Archana says

            May 24, 2018 at 1:36 pm

            Glad you were able to fix the problem and enjoy the delicious chicken Korma.

            Reply
    3. Bob says

      May 30, 2018 at 4:26 pm

      Hi - if I want to make this meal for twice as many people, do I simply use twice as much of everything?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 30, 2018 at 5:00 pm

        Hi Bob, You can double all the ingredients. Pressure cooking time will not change.

        Reply
    4. Anjuli says

      November 02, 2018 at 7:02 am

      Hi, whole spices - would you recommend I ground them and then put them in while sauteing? Or keep them whole and try to dig them out later :D. I am asking because of my kids. I know they won't like it if I accidentally miss taking it out. I remember as a child I used to hate biting into them when my mom cooked anything with whole spices. Q 2, would it be ok to use boneless thighs or breasts? How would the cook time differ? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 04, 2018 at 2:45 pm

        I simply pick them out before serving. This korma had milder spice flavors so whole spices work best.

        Reply
    5. Piu Ghosh says

      November 15, 2018 at 12:26 am

      HI,
      I changed the "servings" and the ingredients changed proportionally. None of the other details changed - I was wondering what the default serving is? I assume there is a maximum we can fit in a 6 quart IP? Also it seems like the cooking time does not change for a larger amount?
      Thanks,

      Reply
      • Archana says

        November 16, 2018 at 10:25 pm

        Yes pressure cooking time will not change. You should be able to cook about 5 pounds of chicken in your 6 quart IP

        Reply
    6. Niti says

      December 28, 2018 at 4:22 pm

      Hello. If I want to use frozen chicken breast, what should my cook time be. I made this prior with thigh and it was amazing!5 stars

      Reply
    7. Niti says

      December 28, 2018 at 4:35 pm

      How long should I cook in IP if I use frozen/partly thawed chicken breast. I made this recipe with thighs last week and it was a hit!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        December 30, 2018 at 12:07 pm

        I assume you will cut the chicken breasts into smaller 2 inch pieces, in which case pressure cook for 5 mins with 10 min NPR.

        Reply
    8. Priya Desai says

      February 06, 2019 at 12:01 am

      I tried your chicken Korma from your recipe book, it was a hit. Can’t wait to try more recipes.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 06, 2019 at 8:51 am

        Thank you for the feedback. Do write a review for the book on amazon when you get a chance and thank you for your support ❤️

        Reply
    9. Nisha says

      April 10, 2019 at 12:59 am

      Seriously good! Enjoy your instant pot recipes! Added soaked cashew to it! Should have read entire post and reduced the water but it was delicious!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 11, 2019 at 6:19 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. You can also try the Shahi Korma that has cashew paste in it and is a creamier version of this!

        Reply
    10. Jon Hernandez says

      April 15, 2020 at 11:33 am

      Made this yesterday in the instantpot. Doubles the ingredients and used a whole 3lb frozen cut up chicken and left it cooking for 45 min. Turned out delicious!

      Liked it even more a few hours later 🙂5 stars

      Reply
    11. Rosemary says

      May 04, 2020 at 8:50 pm

      Hi Archana, I am new to the instant pot and tried this but I kept getting the burn sign on my instant pot until I more than doubled the water quantity. I was using 6 rather large drumsticks. Is there anyway to stop that as I would have preferred it with less water.
      I see you also recommend less than a 1/4 cup of water. Just wondering if this is possible without getting the burn sign?
      Many thanks,
      Rosemary

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 05, 2020 at 9:55 pm

        I am so sorry that happened. I hope your sealing ring is secured and also make sure the pot is not browned from sautéing onions. Hope this helps.

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          May 06, 2020 at 5:10 am

          Oh Thankyou for your quick response. I am new to the instant pot so maybe I didn’t have the sealing ring on properly. I’ll try again.

          Reply
    12. Orma says

      May 15, 2020 at 4:39 pm

      I want to make this tonight but only have chicken wings available. Would you suggest changing the cook time at all? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 15, 2020 at 7:00 pm

        Reduce pressure cook time to 5 mins and they will be perfect! Follow remaining recipe as is 🙂

        Reply
    13. Naisha says

      May 16, 2020 at 4:50 pm

      Best and easiest chicken korma recipe ever!5 stars

      Reply
    14. Tara says

      July 13, 2020 at 7:42 pm

      One word: FANTASTIC! I added a 16 oz bag of frozen peas at the end, and it was a great way to sneak in more veggies. Great meal prep option. I made a pot, ate one serving for dinner and packaged up the remaining 3 for the rest of the week.

      Reply
    15. Sonya says

      July 16, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      I would love to try this. If I have bone in chicken thighs, would you know the time for that please. Thank you and God bless 🙂

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 18, 2020 at 5:51 pm

        same cook times will work for bine in chicken thighs too

        Reply
    16. Ayesha says

      November 11, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      AMAZING!
      I discovered your blog about a week ago and have tried 4 of your recipes. Each one was a BIG HIT. Just made this today...delicious!
      Thank you for the great recipes.5 stars

      Reply
    17. Carolynne says

      December 11, 2020 at 4:48 am

      Hi, I made this last night for dinner and it went down well. We found there wasn't enough water and it was burning when we stopped the pressure. We added another 1/2 cup but then it was too liquidy. I added creme fresh instead of yoghurt and it was fine.

      Reply
    18. phil frosty says

      January 10, 2021 at 8:16 pm

      This is super easy to make and is one of my go-to recipes for watching my weight. As others have pointed out, veggies are easy to sneak in with a trivet and a corel bowl or something similar; ditto rice. I would recommend only using chicken thighs; it makes a difference in taste. I prefer a slightly thicker sauce, but I don't like the hassle of reducing -- so I just use more non-fat yogurt. I often mate this with a curried lentil or black-eyed pea dish made and frozen earlier -- awesome. In fact, if you mate this with a curried bean recipe made with collard greens or swiss chard, you have a meal that is darned near 99% nutritionally complete.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 10, 2021 at 10:58 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    19. Aunt M Kitchen says

      January 30, 2021 at 12:33 am

      If you own a wire mesh tea ball, remove the chain, and place your whole spices into the ball and lock it shut. Then put it in the instant pot with the rest of the ingredients, and leave it in while you cook the meal. Then, when the food is done, use a pasta comb to fish it out, being careful not to open it, and you just removed all the whole spices so no child will chew down on a peppercorn or other hot thing in their mouth.

      This works on the stovetop when making other meals as well. Cinnamon and allspice with clove into a pot of cider to mull it, bay leaf, allspice, peppercorns, and whole cloves in bean soup, etc. The tea ball lets you spice the meal and easily remove the whole spice pieces when it's done.

      Reply
    20. Kc says

      December 19, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      Super easy and tastes good everytime.

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

    Learn More About Me!

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