royal lamb korma

This lamb dish, korma bahadur shahi, has all that is special about Mughal cuisine. Mild, aromatic spices, creamy, dried fruit, nuts, and the main ingredient highlighted to perfection.

prepare: 30

cook: 2

marinate: 12

total time: 14 30

difficulty: moderate

yield: 4 servings

calories: 686 kcal

diet: gluten free

cuisine: Indian, mughlai

equipment

wide pan with lid

ingredients

800 g lamb leg - lean, cut into 2.5cm pieces

for the marinade

400 ml yoghurt
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
4 cloves garlic - crushed

to prepare

50 ml milk
½ tsp saffron threads
50 g raisins
1 tbsp coriander seeds
12 green cardamom pods - seeds only
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 blade mace
1 stick cassia
1 tsp ginger powder
36 raw cashews
½ cup water - luke warm
4 tbsp ghee

to cook

1 red onion - finely chopped
1 tsp salt
6 dried figs - chopped
3 tbsp crème fraiche

to serve

30 g almonds - slivered
50 g raw pistachios - chopped
1 tbsp coriander leaves

instructions

for the marinade

Whisk the yogurt, Kashmiri chilli powder and garlic in a large bowl. Add the lamb pieces, mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

to prepare

Warm the milk, add the saffron and set aside.
Place the raisins in a cup of hot water and set aside.
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.
Place these ground spices in a small bowl and add the ginger powder. Add a little water and mix to make a spice paste. Set aside.
Blend 24 of the cashews and the lukewarm water to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium-low heat and fry the remaining 12 cashews until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Retain the pan and ghee for cooking.

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.
Stir in the spice paste and cook until fragrant. Reduce heat to low, add 125ml of water and cook until the ghee begins to separate.
Add the lamb with its marinade and the figs. Cook for ten minutes or until the yoghurt 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.
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.

to serve

Add the saffron-infused milk to the sauce. Mix well.
Drain the raisins and add them with the almonds and pistachios to the gravy.
Place into a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander and the reserved cashews. Serve.

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