Korma means braising, and the Awadhi mutton korma is one of the foundation dishes of Lucknowi cooking. Unlike the creamy, nut-heavy restaurant kormas, the classic version is built on yogurt and a paste of deeply fried onions, cooked slowly so the meat absorbs the spices and the fat rises to the surface.
The gravy is a rich brown, thick and glossy, with a warm aroma of cardamom, cloves, mace and a few drops of kewra. Heat is moderate, and the flavour comes from properly browned onions and slow cooking rather than heavy spice. The mutton should be tender enough to pull from the bone easily.
Korma is a dish for Eid, weddings and Sunday lunches, eaten with sheermal, tandoori roti or plain rice. Lucknow's famous Idrees and Wahid shops serve it alongside biryani. Like most braised dishes, it tastes even better the next day, so it is a good choice when cooking for a gathering. Leftover gravy is delicious mopped up with a crisp paratha at breakfast.
At a glance
| Region | Uttar Pradesh |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Awadhi |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 25 minutes |
| Cook time | 80 minutes |
| Total time | 105 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | mutton / yogurt / fried onions / ghee |
Ingredients
- 750 g bone-in mutton, curry cut
- 1 cup thick curd, whisked
- 1/2 cup ghee or oil
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp mace and green cardamom powder
- 10 almonds, soaked and peeled (optional)
- 1/2 tsp kewra water
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
Method
- Heat ghee in a heavy pot on medium. Fry the sliced onions for 15 minutes, stirring, until evenly deep golden brown. Lift them out, leaving the ghee behind.
- Grind the fried onions with 3 tbsp curd (and the almonds, if using) to a smooth paste.
- In the same ghee, add the whole spices and let them crackle for 30 seconds. Add the mutton and salt and sear on high for 8 to 10 minutes until browned.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and cook 2 minutes. Lower the heat and add chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric with a splash of water; stir 1 minute.
- Add the remaining curd gradually, stirring constantly, then the onion paste. Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes until the masala thickens and ghee separates.
- Pour in the hot water, cover and cook on low for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mutton is tender and the gravy thick with ghee floating on top.
- Add garam masala, mace-cardamom powder and kewra. Cover and leave on the lowest heat for 5 minutes, then rest before serving.
Tips
- The colour and flavour of the korma come from the fried onions; uneven or burnt onions make it bitter.
- Use goat meat from the shoulder for the best balance of fat and tenderness.
- Pressure cooking (4 to 5 whistles) speeds things up; reduce the water to 1 cup.
Serve with
Sheermal, tandoori roti or plain basmati rice.