Korma — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A luxuriously rich and aromatic curry where meat is braised low and slow in a velvety sauce of fried onions, yogurt, and a complex blend of whole and ground spices until meltingly tender. The crown jewel of Pakistani celebratory cooking.

Ingredients

1kg mutton or beef, cut into large pieces
4 large onions, thinly sliced
1 cup yogurt, whisked smooth
4 tablespoons ghee or cooking oil
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
6 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons ground almonds or cashews
Saffron threads soaked in warm milk

Instructions

1 Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot and fry the sliced onions on medium heat, stirring frequently, until they turn a deep mahogany brown. This takes fifteen to twenty minutes and is the most critical step, as the caramelized onions form the flavor base of the entire korma.
2 Remove half the fried onions and set aside. Add ginger-garlic paste and all whole spices (cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, cumin) to the remaining onions. Cook for two minutes until the spices release their aroma.
3 Add the meat pieces and sear on high heat for five minutes, turning to brown all sides. Reduce heat to medium and add coriander powder, chili powder, and turmeric. Stir well to coat the meat.
4 Add whisked yogurt one tablespoon at a time, stirring continuously to prevent curdling. Once all yogurt is incorporated, add salt and ground nuts. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest possible heat for sixty to ninety minutes until the meat is completely tender and the oil rises to the surface.
5 Sprinkle garam masala and saffron milk over the korma. Garnish with the reserved fried onions. Serve with naan or fragrant rice.

Did You Know?

In Pakistani wedding cooking, the quality of the korma is the single most discussed and critiqued dish. A wedding korma is traditionally cooked in enormous pots called degs that can serve hundreds of guests, and specialist wedding cooks called degchi are hired for their korma expertise.