Chicken, Chickpea & Butternut Korma

My Chicken, Chickpea & Butternut Korma takes a no-apologies shortcut by harnessing the power of a spice pot to make this the perfect throw-together-in-a-hurry weeknight meal. It isn’t cheating, its cooking smart. Replace the chicken with quorn/veg/tofu for an easy veggie/vegan curry.

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Simple curries are super simple to make at home. They are not difficult at all to make from scratch but you do need to build up your stash of spices and flavourings. Once you have a variety, it is very easy to mix and match them to make various style curries.

Using a store bought spice pot makes the process extra simple. Its a great way for people that don’t have an extensive spice collection to get an authentic flavour which is similar every time. I do use other spice pots but the Korma pot is the one I turn to the most. Some people might call this a cheat’s korma. I just call it smart cooking!

Now I am no namby-pamby when it comes to spices. Saying that, I also don’t like things to have so much of a kick I can’t feel my face! Korma has a bit of a poor reputation for being wimp fodder. But that is a stupid fallacy. Why deny yourself a tasty dish just for “kudos” points? I just add me some extra chilli.

Actually I used to ask for extra chilli when ordering korma for a takeaway. Once upon a time there was a misunderstanding and I got ‘extra hot’ instead. I just order them mild nowadays!

How to Serve Chicken, Chickpea and Butternut Korma

You can serve this curry simply with rice (one of the microwave packets would be my likely choice) and/or with any chutneys, poppadoms or Indian breads as you desire. Naan is my go to, just don’t call it “naan bread”. You’ll be asking for “bread bread” and look silly!

I do also sometimes serve with couscous as it is so quick to whip up and is a nice alternative to rice on occasion.

I generally swirl a little yogurt or creme fraiche into the curry and sprinkle a little fresh coriander on top. There aren’t many dishes I don’t add coriander to but it is entirely optional. I know that many folk can’t stand it.

I also serve this dish without any sides, more like a soup. Perfect for a office lunch.

Make Chicken, Chickpea and Butternut Korma into a Feast

I truly believe that you can make any dish into a proper feast! Whether thats a feast for one after work on a Tuesday, a casual feast for four on a Friday evening or a feast for 12 for a special occasion!

I mentioned above that I often eat this curry without any sides or rice as a kind of chunky meal soup. Served the same way it would make a great curve ball option at a Soup Night Feast. You could even serve it full soup style with a good hunk of my Chilli & Oregano Soda Bread.

Ingredients for Chicken, Chickpea and Butternut Korma

Butternut

You can substitute any squash or sweet potato for the butternut squash. It can take a little while to cook through so make sure that it is fully soft before serving.

Chicken Breast

I use chicken breast as I have always made this curry as a lower fat/calorie option. Chicken thigh fillets would be my preference otherwise.

Korma Paste Pot

There are numerous options available on the market so just use your favourite. There are other paste options in jars etc. Just ensure that whichever pot or paste that you are using serves the number of people that you are making the recipe for.

Chickpeas

This is a throw it together dish so I use tinned chickpeas which I always keep in my cupboard. You could soak and cook dried chickpeas if you prefer and have time.

Coconut Milk

Like with my use of chicken breasts, I usually use light coconut milk in this recipe rather than the full fat variety in order to keep the calorie count a little lower. I can’t personally tell any difference in the finished dish.

Be Flexible

There are many ways in which you can vary this basic recipe.

Choose your main ingredient. King prawns, lamb leg, chicken on the bone, or duck all make great substitutes for the chicken breast. I also like to make it with a white fish like haddock. I would usually cook this separately and serve it on top.

The butternut squash can be switched for another chunky veg like cauliflower, switched out for potato or left out entirely. The same is true for the chickpeas. Another white bean would work or leave them out entirely.

Coconut milk can be omitted providing another creamy alternative such as yogurt is used.

A true korma includes ground almonds in the recipe. This gives the curry texture and bulk. I do sometimes add them to this recipe but as they are quite pricey and calorific, I tend not to for at least one of those reasons on any given occasion.

Make it Vegetarian or Vegan

The bulk of this Korma recipe is vegan. Only the additional of chicken makes it unsuitable. (And any garnish of yogurt – use more coconut milk or non-dairy yogurt instead).

Substitute the chicken for paneer, tofu, quorn (vegetarian but not vegan), seitan or tempeh for a great vegan dish. Or add in another “meaty” vegetable like cauliflower, aubergine, courgette or portobello mushrooms. Or a mixture of both.

Make it Allergy Friendly

This korma recipe is free from gluten, dairy, egg and nuts. With the following caveats:

Nut Free: The Korma paste pot that I used doesn’t contain any nuts but does come with a “may contain nuts” warning.

Dairy Free: This recipe is dairy free providing that the optional yoghurt topping is excluded. A dairy-free yoghurt could be substituted however.

Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

Equipment Notes for Chicken, Chickpea and Butternut Korma

I do not like leaving the skin on butternut squash as I think it is chewy and ruins the lecture of the curry. So I peel it using my speed peeler. I think it is much safer than using a knife, just be careful to not slip.

A stockpot might seem a little on the large side for a cooking vessel when making a smaller amount of this curry. But curries have a tenancy of spluttering as they cooks and so I tend to go extra large to contain the mess.

A comprehensive list of the equipment used to make this recipe is included in the main recipe card below. Click on any item to see an example. There are no hard and fast rules so many items can be sensibly substituted to achieve the same results.

Get Ahead

My Korma is a great dish to make in advance or as part of a meal prep plan.

Curries really improve with time so actually it is a great idea. The whole finished dish can be cooked and left in the fridge for a couple of days or frozen either as a whole or in portions. The korma can be easily reheated either in the microwave or on the hob.

Leftover Chicken, Chickpea and Butternut Korma

Leftovers can be eaten over the course of a couple of days or frozen and reheated at a later date.

Chicken, Chickpea and Butternut Korma Tips

If you need to speed up the cooking process, you can steam the butternut squash in the microwave for 5 minutes before adding to the curry. I use my microwave steamer plate for this sort of thing all the time.

Be careful about the curry bubbling and spitting. Check that the heat is low enough to prevent this and that you use a large enough pan.

Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?

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The Recipe

Chicken, Chickpea and Butternut Korma Recipe

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My Chicken, Chickpea and Butternut Korma takes a no-apologies shortcut by harnessing the power of a spice pot to make this the perfect throw-together-in-a-hurry weeknight meal. It isn’t cheating, its cooking smart. Replace the chicken with quorn/veg/tofu for an easy veggie/vegan curry.

5 from 13 votes

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KEEP SCREEN ON

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings 4 portions

Author Chloe

Equipment

• Chopping Board – Plastic
• Sharp Knife – Large
• Vegetable (Speed) Peeler
• Stockpot
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Scales
• Silicone Spatula
• Tin Opener
• Mixing Bowl – Extra Small

Ingredients

 

MetricUSA Measurements

 

0.5x1x2x4x

• 250 g Onion
• 350 g Butternut Squash
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes
• 750 g Chicken Breast
• 70 g Korma Paste
• 400 ml Light Coconut Milk
• 240 g Canned Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
• 400 ml Water
• 3 tbsp Cornflour

To Garnish (Optional)

• Fresh Coriander (Cilantro)

Instructions

 

• Chop 250g Onion and 350g Butternut Squash into 1cm cubes and add to a deep wide pan on a medium heat with 2 tbsp Veg Oil and 1 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes.
  
• Fry gently for 5 to 10 minutes until the onion has softened and the butternut is little golden.
• Meanwhile, cube 750g Chicken Breast into 2-3 cm chunky pieces and add to the veg once its ready.
  
• Fry gently for another 5 minutes.
• Add a

  70g Korma Paste

  and continue to fry for another couple of minutes. The spices need to cook out a little before the liquid is added.
  
• Add 400ml Light Coconut Milk, 240g Tinned Chickpeas and 400ml Water to the pan. Bring to a simmer and leave for 10 to 20 minutes. You may want to stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking.
  
• In the meantime, mix 3 tbsp Cornflour with a little water to make a slurry.
  
• Once the butternut squash cubes are tender and the chicken is firm, add the cornflour slurry to the sauce. Continue to stir until the sauce has thickened a little. (If you want to add ground almonds, add them at this stage).
  
• And serve!
  

Nutrition (Approx)

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 2078mg | Potassium: 1268mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 12130IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 4mg

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