Hariyali Murgh Korma, succulent chicken marinated in aromatic spices and cooked in freshly ground mint coriander-rich yoghurt sauce with the heat of green chillies! The sprinkle of kasoori methi and garam masala at the end takes the korma up a notch! Have it with rice or roti, you will love this coriander mint chicken curry!

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My mint leaves stock always dies a slow death!🙄
I am sure many of you agree with me. When I find fresh mint leaves bunch at the market, I want to take all of them home. They are so aromatic, right? But I know I won't use them, so I settle for just one. And this just rests beneath my coriander leaves in a box in the fridge and remains there forever. 😂 Sometimes out of guilt, I remove them, discard the bad leaves, trim the ends, and keep them back!
My advice for myself and for those who are like me - buy mint leaves and use them the very same day - or buy them only when you plan to use them. If it goes into a box, I bet it stays there!
Following my advice, I used to make mint coriander chutney from various sources because I am yet to find the right balance for my palate. Farheen's Green Chicken Curry that she shared on Instagram was the inspiration for this korma. Her recipe was a simple, everyday curry, unlike the rich Mughlai kind. Mint chutney can wait because this coriander mint chicken curry is too good, that even my green food hater F had it without any reservation!
What is Hariyali made of?
Well, Hara is a Hindi word for the colour green and Hariyali just means "greenery" or "green stuff"! The dish is called Hariyali as the sauce is green.
What is Korma sauce made of?
Korma, in my knowledge, is usually a yoghurt-based sauce.
Is Chicken Kurma the same as Korma?
Korma comes from Mughlai cuisine in which meat or vegetables are cooked with spices in yoghurt sauce. And Kurma is South Indian cuisine where meat and vegetables are cooked with spices in coconut sauce. I may be wrong and they may just be words of the same meaning with different spelling because Korma is also Qorma!

How do I thicken my korma?
It is possible that by the end of the cooking, your korma is very thin because of the water from the chicken and yoghurt. To prevent this from happening we add crushed fried onions - which give the body to the gravy. But there are other options! You may add a few soaked cashews or sesame seeds while making the green paste. You may also add heavy cream or labneh, towards the end of the cooking but these will mellow down the heat so use sparingly or increase the green chillies and spices. I don't recommend cornflour for Indian dishes but if that is your only option, I won't even say Go ahead 🤐
How to make coriander mint chicken curry?

marinate the chicken pieces and let it rest for 30 minutes or overnight.

Prepare the green paste by processing green chillies, mint leaves and coriander leaves with a few soaked cashews or almonds.

Heat ghee and oil and saute the onions until golden brown with a dash of salt

Saute the onions until golden brown.

Add the marinated chicken and the green paste along with a few tablespoons of water (preferably from cleaning the mixie jar)

Cook covered on medium to high flame until all chicken pieces turn white

Open and stir in the whisked yoghurt and bring this to boil on a medium to high flame.

Reduce the flame to low, and cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.

Open, taste test and adjust the salt and spices as per taste.

Stir in the fried onions, garam masala, cream and kasoori methi. Simmer open for 5 to 8 minutes and switch off.



📖 Recipe
Chicken in Mint Coriander Yoghurt Sauce | Hariyali Murgh Korma
Ingredients
For Marinade
- 800 grams skinless whole chicken cut into 10 to 12 pieces
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds shah jeera
- 4 green cardamom
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaf
- ¼ cup fried onions crushed
- Salt to taste
For Green Paste
- 10 green chillies
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves tightly packed
- 1 cup Fresh coriander leaves
- 10 almonds or cashews soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
For the Korma
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1½ cups yoghurt whisked
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup fried onions crushed
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala use my recipe
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- water as required
For garnish
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
- Fried onions
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat each piece thoroughly.
- Keep aside for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
Make the green paste
- Add all the green paste ingredients into a mixie and grind to a smooth paste with some water.
Prepare the korma
- Heat ghee and oil in a curry pot on medium flame.
- Saute the onions until golden brown with a dash of salt.
- Add the marinated chicken and the green paste along with a few tablespoons of water (preferably from cleaning the mixie jar).
- Cook covered on medium to high flame until all chicken pieces turn white.
- Open and stir in the whisked yoghurt and bring this to boil on a medium flame.
- Reduce the flame to low, and cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.
- Open, taste test and adjust the salt and spices as per taste.
- Stir in the fried onions, garam masala, and kasoori methi.
- Simmer open for 5 to 8 minutes and switch off.
Garnish and serve
- Garnish with more fried nuts and a drizzle of cream if using. Serve warm with any Indian flatbreads or rice.
Recipe inspired by "Homemade by Farheen".
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!