To begin, deep fry the sliced onions until golden. Remove them to an absorbent paper just as they are about to change color and let them cool. Grind them coarsely without adding water and keep aside.
To marinate, take 400gms of boneless chicken in a large bowl.
Add in curd, ginger garlic paste, salt, Kashmiri red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and coarsely ground garam masala.
Next, add in 1/4 cup oil. For added flavor, use the same oil you fried the onions in.
Mix until the chicken pieces are well coated. Keep aside to marinate for atleast half an hour.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add in a bay leaf.
Add in the marinated chicken and saute on high heat for a minute or two until it starts to boil.
Cover with a lid, reduce the heat, and let it simmer until the chicken is almost cooked and the liquid dries up.
Add in the ground onions and mix well.
Add in cardamom powder and kewra essence. Mix.
Add a bit of water, cover with a lid and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked. And the oil appears on the top.
Finally, add in garam masala powder. Check the salt and add more if required. Adjust the gravy as per your taste.
The Nut-Free Chicken Korma is ready to serve. Serve hot with parathas or naans.