Korma

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the lamb dry. In a bowl, combine the lamb with yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, and ground coriander. Mix thoroughly so every piece is coated, then leave to marinate while you prepare the onions, about 15 minutes at room temperature. A short marinade still helps the yogurt season the meat and keeps it tender.

2. 2

   Heat the ghee in a heavy pan or karahi over medium heat. Fry the sliced onions with the green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, and bay leaf until the onions turn deep golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Stir often toward the end so they colour evenly without burning; this browning gives the korma its depth.

3. 3

   Lower the heat. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for 30-45 seconds until the raw smell fades. Add Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, and ground cumin, stirring briefly so the spices bloom in the fat without scorching.

4. 4

   Add the marinated lamb and all of its marinade. Cook over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the yogurt stops looking raw and the lamb changes colour. Keep scraping the base of the pan so the masala fries rather than steams.

5. 5

   Pour in the water, bring to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 20-22 minutes, stirring once or twice. The lamb should become tender enough to pierce easily with a knife, and the gravy should reduce to a thick, spoon-coating consistency.

6. 6

   Uncover and cook for 3-5 minutes if needed to tighten the gravy. Stir in the kewra water, garam masala, and remaining salt. Taste and adjust seasoning; korma should be aromatic, lightly spiced, and rich rather than aggressively hot.

7. 7

   Rest the korma off the heat for 5 minutes so the oil settles back into the masala and the flavours round out. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves and ginger julienne, then serve hot with naan, sheermal, or steamed rice.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •For the best 60-minute result, use lamb shoulder cut fairly small; leg can cook a little drier, while larger chunks may need longer simmering.
• •If you want a smoother restaurant-style gravy, remove and crush or blend the fried onions before returning them to the pan, but the traditional home-style version is excellent as written.
• •Kewra is powerful: measure carefully. Too much will make the dish taste perfumed rather than elegant.
• •Serve with naan, roomali roti, sheermal, or simple basmati rice plus a fresh onion salad.

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