Mutton Korma

Ingredients

• 2 lb lamb shoulder, boneless
• 2 medium onions
• 6 clove garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• ⅓ cup ground almonds
• 3 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 pod cardamom pods, green
• 1 piece cinnamon stick
• 2 leaf bay leaf
• ½ cup coconut milk, full-fat
• 1 to taste salt and pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the lamb shoulder into 1.5-inch cubes by first slicing it lengthwise into 1.5-inch-thick strips, then cutting each strip crosswise into cubes. Discard any large pieces of fat or silver skin.

2. 2

   Dice the onions into 1/4-inch pieces by cutting them lengthwise from root to tip into thin slices, then turning each slice 90 degrees and cutting crosswise into small cubes.

3. 3

   Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots—using a chef's knife or garlic mincer.

4. 4

   Mince the fresh ginger into pieces the same size as the garlic, working carefully since ginger is fibrous—chop it finely across the grain first, then crosswise.

5. 5

   Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pot, about 90 seconds.

6. 6

   Add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves to the hot ghee and stir constantly for 30 seconds until they smell strongly fragrant and the cumin seeds begin to darken slightly.

7. 7

   Add the diced onions to the spiced ghee and stir once every 15 seconds for 6 minutes, until the onions turn translucent and the edges begin to turn golden brown.

8. 8

   Add the minced garlic and ginger to the onions and stir constantly for 60 seconds until the raw smell fades and the mixture becomes fragrant.

9. 9

   Add the lamb cubes to the pot and stir every 20 seconds for 5 minutes, coating the meat with the spice mixture and allowing the surface to lose its raw pink color.

10. 10

    Pour the yogurt into a small bowl and whisk it gently with a fork until smooth and uniform, breaking up any lumps.

11. 11

    Pour the whisked yogurt slowly into the pot while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, moving in one direction to prevent the yogurt from curdling—this takes about 90 seconds total.

12. 12

    Sprinkle the ground almonds over the meat and stir constantly for 2 minutes, distributing the almonds evenly and allowing them to absorb moisture from the yogurt.

13. 13

    Pour in the coconut milk, stir once to combine, then reduce the heat to low so the surface shows only occasional lazy bubbles.

14. 14

    Cover the pot with a lid and let the korma simmer gently for 50 minutes, stirring once every 12 minutes, until the lamb is so tender it breaks apart when pressed with the back of a spoon.

15. 15

    Taste the korma and sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper, stir, and taste again—adjust seasoning until it tastes balanced and savory without any raw spice bite.

16. 16

    Ladle the korma into serving bowls, ensuring each bowl gets meat, sauce, and some of the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf) floating on top for aroma.

Tools you’ll need

• chef's knife
• cutting board
• large heavy-bottomed pot with lid (at least 5-quart capacity)
• wooden spoon
• small bowl
• fork
• measuring spoons
• measuring cup
• soup ladle

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