Dairy-Free Chicken Korma
Dairy-free chicken korma with tender chicken in a golden cashew, coconut milk, ginger, and warm spice sauce, no cream, butter, ghee, or yogurt required.
Recipe by Andrew Tibbs, the Non Dairy Dude in Dairy-Free Dinner Recipes
Published
Dude Note
Korma leans on dairy three ways at once: yogurt to tenderize, cream for body, and ghee for richness. That is exactly why blended cashews plus full-fat coconut milk work so well as the swap; together they carry the spices, soften the heat, and deliver that signature silky creaminess without a drop of dairy.
Korma was the Indian dish I missed most after cutting dairy, mostly because every recipe I found leaned on cream, ghee, or a full cup of yogurt to get that smooth, mellow sauce. I went through a handful of attempts that came out thin or grainy before I landed on this version, and now it's in the regular rotation. If you've made my dairy-free Indian butter chicken, the spice profile here will feel familiar but gentler, more cardamom and coriander than heat.
The sauce is built from soaked cashews blended with coconut milk, which gives you that same body you'd get from cream without tasting like coconut once it's simmered with the onions and spices. The dairy-free yogurt marinade does double duty too: it tenderizes the chicken and adds a little tang that balances the richness. I season in stages, so the spices bloom in the oil before the chicken and broth go in, which matters more than people think.
Serve it over rice with dairy-free naan for scooping up sauce, and if you're in an Indian-food mood for the week, my dairy-free chicken tikka masala is a good tomato-forward contrast to put on the table the next night.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1½ lbBoneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ cupPlain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
- 1 tbspLemon juice
- 1 tbspFresh ginger, grated
- 3 clovesGarlic cloves, minced
- 1 tspGround coriander
- 1 tspFine salt
Cashew Base
- ½ cupRaw cashews
- 1 cupBoiling water, for soaking
- ¾ cupFull-fat coconut milk
Sauce
- 2 tbspNeutral oil
- 2 mediumYellow onions, thinly sliced
- ½ tspFine salt
- 3 clovesGarlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbspFresh ginger, grated
- 2 tspGround coriander
- 1½ tspGaram masala
- 1 tspGround cumin
- ½ tspGround cardamom
- ½ tspTurmeric
- ⅛ tspCayenne pepper, optional
- 1 cupLow-sodium chicken broth or water
Finish
- 1 tspBrown sugar or honey
- 1 tspKasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed between palms (optional)
- 1 tspFresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
Garnish
- ¼ cupFresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cupToasted sliced almonds or cashews, optional
Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, combine the chicken with the dairy-free yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, coriander, and salt. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- 2
Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain. Blend the drained cashews with the coconut milk until completely smooth.
- 3
Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are very soft and golden at the edges but not deeply browned.
- 4
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the coriander, garam masala, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and cayenne if using. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- 5
For a silkier, restaurant-style sauce (recommended but optional): scrape the onion and spice mixture into a blender, add a splash of the chicken broth, and blend until smooth, then return it to the pan. Vent the blender lid since the mixture is hot. For a more rustic korma, leave the onions as they are and skip this step.
- 6
Add the marinated chicken and any yogurt mixture from the bowl. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken loses its raw exterior and the yogurt begins to cling to the onions.
- 7
Pour in the chicken broth or water and scrape up anything stuck to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- 8
Stir in the blended cashew-coconut mixture. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is creamy and coats the chicken. Do not boil hard after adding the cashew mixture or the sauce can over-thicken.
- 9
Stir in the brown sugar or honey, kasuri methi if using, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust with more salt, lemon, or a pinch of cayenne. The final sauce should be creamy, gently spiced, and slightly sweet, not sharp or tomato-forward.
- 10
Serve hot with basmati rice, dairy-free naan, cilantro, and toasted almonds or cashews if using.
How we make it dairy-free
- Dairy yogurt marinade → Swapped for plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt. It still tenderizes the chicken and gives the same tang.
- Cream for the sauce → Replaced with a blend of soaked raw cashews and full-fat coconut milk, which gets you the same body without tasting like a coconut dish.
- Ghee or butter → Swapped for neutral oil to cook the onions and bloom the spices. You lose a little of that nutty ghee flavor, but the garam masala and cardamom cover for it.
Tips & Variations
Korma should not taste like butter chicken: This recipe stays golden, onion-forward, nutty, and mild. There is no tomato base because the point is a softer, creamier curry with warm spices rather than a tangy red sauce.
Use thighs if you can: Chicken thighs stay tender during the simmer and suit the rich sauce better than lean breast meat. If using breasts, cut them a little larger and avoid overcooking.
Cook the onions patiently: The onions are the backbone of the sauce. They should soften and turn golden, but do not take them to a dark caramelized stage or the sauce will taste heavier and sweeter than korma should.
Blend the cashews very smooth: A high-speed blender gives the silkiest texture. If your blender is less powerful, soak the cashews for the full 30 minutes or longer.
Keep the heat gentle: Cashew-based sauces thicken quickly. Once the cashew-coconut mixture goes in, use low heat and stir often.
About the yogurt: Plain unsweetened coconut, almond, oat, or soy yogurt can work. Choose one that tastes neutral to you; sweetened or vanilla yogurt will ruin the sauce.
Kasuri methi is optional but excellent: Dried fenugreek leaves add restaurant-style aroma and help connect this korma to the broader Indian curry family.
Make ahead: Korma reheats well, but it thickens as it sits. Loosen leftovers with a splash of broth, water, or coconut milk over low heat.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use coconut cream instead of soaking cashews?⌄
You can, but the cashews add more than fat. They give the sauce a thicker, less coconut-forward base, so the dish tastes like korma instead of a coconut curry. If you're out of cashews, coconut cream alone will work in a pinch, just blend it smooth first.
What dairy-free yogurt works best for the marinade?⌄
Plain unsweetened coconut or almond-based yogurt both work fine here. Avoid anything vanilla or sweetened, since it'll throw off the balance with the lemon juice and spices.
Is chicken korma supposed to be spicy?⌄
Not really. Korma is a mild, warmly spiced dish built on coriander, cumin, garam masala, and cardamom rather than chile heat. The cayenne pepper in this recipe is optional, so leave it out if you want it kid-friendly.
Can I make this dairy-free chicken korma ahead of time?⌄
Yes, and it actually tastes better the next day once the spices settle in. Store it in the fridge for up to three days and reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Dairy-Free Chicken Korma · https://nondairydude.com/recipes/dairy-free-chicken-korma
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