This lamb korma has all that is special about Mughal cuisine. Aromatic spices, luscious texture, dried fruit, nuts, and the main ingredient highlighted to perfection.
This recipe requires an overnight marination period, so start it the day before.
The recipe is from the kitchens of the Bahadur Shah, literally the “great man shah”, dating back to the early 18th Century, CE. Hence its name Korma Bahadur Shahi, or Shahi Korma.
As befits a dish from the kitchens of a king, it has no ingredients used by the common people. There is no turmeric or tomato. It uses a lot of saffron and cardamom, which were then, and still are, amongst the most expensive spices in the world.
Also consistent with its royal kitchen heritage is its intricate presentation. Yes, you could leave things out or use substitutes, but I would recommend that if you wanted to cook something that is fit for a king, then go to the bother of doing this as written. I do, but certainly not every week. This is a special occasion dish.
The key to this recipe is to use the best possible lamb you can get. The recipe will feature the lamb, so it needs to be good. It is not slow-cooked so don’t expect fatty lamb to render down. Fatty lamb will taste like, well, fatty lamb. I will sometimes use lamb fillets or backstraps and reduce the cooking time appropriately.
You will notice a large amount of dairy product in this, which is intentional. But it is not meant to be a creamy dish. The presentation shown in the photo is what you want to achieve. Some gravy, but not pieces of lamb floating in cream.
The cashew paste is particularly important. It is partly about flavour and richness, but it also acts as a thickener. The use of nut pastes is quite common in this style of cuisine.
At royal banquets, this would be just one of many dishes. For a contemporary situation, you use this as a feature dish with simple accompaniments. Plain rice or bread would be best. Do not serve this with raita, because there will be too much yoghurt. A simple kachumber or salad would be best.
the recipe
about
equipment
- large bowl
- small frypan
- small bowl
- wide pan with lid
- slotted spoon
ingredients
- 800 g lamb leg - trimmed and diced (see notes)
for the marinade
- 400 ml yoghurt
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 4 cloves garlic - crushed
for the spices
- 50 ml milk - warm
- ¼ tsp saffron threads
- 50 g raisins
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 12 green cardamom pods - broken open
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 blade mace
- 1 stick cassia
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 36 raw cashews
- ½ cup water - warm
- 4 tbsp ghee
for cooking
- 1 red onion - finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 dried figs - chopped
- 3 tbsp yoghurt
- 3 tbsp crème fraiche
for serving
- 30 g almonds - slivered
- 50 g raw pistachios - chopped
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves
instructions
to marinate
- Whisk the yogurt, Kashmiri chilli powder and garlic in a large bowl. Add the lamb pieces, mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.800 g lamb leg – trimmed and diced (see notes), 400 ml yoghurt, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 4 cloves garlic – crushed
to prepare the spices
- Put the warm milk into a cup, add the saffron, stir, then set aside to steep.50 ml milk – warm, ¼ tsp saffron threads
- Place the raisins into a cup of hot water and set aside.50 g raisins
- Place the coriander, cardamom, cumin, mace, and cassia into a small pan on medium heat. Toast the spices until aromatic, then remove them from the heat and allow them to cool. Once cooled, grind them to a fine powder and set aside.1 tbsp coriander seeds, 12 green cardamom pods – broken open, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 blade mace, 1 stick cassia
- Place these ground spices in a small bowl and add the ginger powder. Add a little water and mix to make a smooth paste. Set aside.1 tsp ginger powder
- Grind 24 of the cashews and the lukewarm water to a smooth paste. Set aside.24 raw cashews, ½ cup water – warm
- Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium-low heat and fry the remaining 12 cashews until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove, then set aside on kitchen paper to drain. Retain the pan and ghee for cooking.12 raw cashews, 4 tbsp ghee
to cook
- Add the onion to the retained pan, on medium-low heat. Sprinkle with the salt and fry for ten minutes or until golden brown.1 red onion – finely chopped, 1 tsp salt
- Stir in the spice paste and cook until fragrant. Reduce heat to low, add a little water to prevent paste drying out and cook until the ghee begins to separate.
- Add the lamb with its marinade and the figs to the pan. Stir well. Add the yoghurt to the pan, one spoonful at a time to ensure it is well incorporated before adding the next spoonful. Cook for ten minutes or until the gravy begins to thicken. Increase the heat and fry the mixture to take on some colour. If necessary, loosen it with a little more water.6 dried figs – chopped, 3 tbsp yoghurt
- Reduce the heat and cover the pan. Simmer until the lamb is cooked. This will take about an hour. Stir occasionally and add as little water as possible during this time to stop the gravy from burning during the cooking. It will need water – you may end up adding around two cups of water during this time.
- Uncover the pan and raise the heat to medium. Add the cashew paste and mix well. Cook for another 30 minutes, stirring frequently, allowing the gravy to reduce and thicken and the lamb to become tender.
- Reduce heat to low, add the crème fraiche, mix, and bring back to a low simmer. Do not allow the gravy to boil or it will split.3 tbsp crème fraiche
to serve
- Drain the raisins and add them with the almonds and pistachios to the gravy. Add the saffron-infused milk and gently mix well.30 g almonds – slivered, 50 g raw pistachios – chopped
- Place into a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander and the reserved cashews. Serve.1 tbsp coriander leaves
notes
private notes
This feature is only available to subscribers.
