Authentic korma
Serves 4
Prep:
Cook:
Skip to ingredients
Units:
- 150g ghee or unsalted butter(you can reduce the quantity to 100g if you like or skim off the fat later)
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 2 brown or black cardamom pods
- 6 cloves
- 4cm cassia bark
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp lightly toasted and ground poppy seeds(optional)
- 2 large red onionsone sliced, the other ground into a paste or finely grated
- 1kg lean goat/venison/lamb on the bone (ribs or leg)cut into 5cm pieces
- 2 tbsp garlic pasteideally freshly made from a large garlic bulb
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 150g plain yogurtbeaten to make it smooth
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chillior deghi mirch powder (I like adding this for colour)
- 2 tsp hot chilli powderadjust according to your taste
- 1 tsp kewra (pandan) wateravailable in Asian shops or online
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground mace
- 1 tsp garam masala
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal699
- fat44g
- saturates25g
- carbs14g
- sugars10glow
- fibre4g
- protein60ghigh
- salt1.02glow
Method
step 1
Heat the ghee/butter until it has melted and clarified — this should take about a minute. Add the whole spices and, once these start to release their flavour, add the sliced onion and fry until light golden.
step 2
Add the meat and brown lightly on all sides.
step 3
Mix the garlic and ginger pastes, and add them to the meat, one tablespoon at a time, with a gap of 2 mins each time. Stir the meat as you add this. Continue to fry on a medium-high heat, stirring at regular intervals to ensure the meat does not catch. If it starts to stick, add a couple of tablespoons of water. Continue this process of bhunai until the ghee starts to separate and the smell of garlic has become less acrid.
step 4
Add the ground/grated onions and continue the bhunai on medium-high heat until the ghee separates once again and the smell of raw onion has diminished.
step 5
Reduce the heat and slowly add the yogurt, one tablespoon at a time, stirring in between so that it does not curdle. Stir in the chilli powders too and fry on a medium heat until the ghee separates once again. It should now have a reddish-brown colour. This entire process of bhunai should take roughly 30 mins and should not be rushed, as it imparts a depth of flavour that cannot be achieved quickly.
step 6
Add 200ml of water and some salt, tasting to get the amount right.
step 7
Add the kewra, nutmeg, mace and garam masala, and simmer on a low heat with a well-fitting lid on until the meat is completely tender and comes away from the bone easily. Serve with roti, naan or rice.
