Mutton Korma

Ingredients

• 1 kg bone-in mutton, cut into medium pieces, washed and drained
• 150 ml cooking oil or 120 g ghee
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt, at room temperature and whisked smooth
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 5 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 4 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 5 cm
• 8 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1½ tsp red chilli powder, or to taste
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 3 tbsp blanched almonds, soaked 20 minutes and ground to a paste with 3 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp fresh cream
• 3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp kewra water (optional)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks, for garnish
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring often, for 15 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp at the edges. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pot, and spread on a plate.
2. Once the onions are cool enough to handle, crush them with your hands and stir them into the whisked yogurt. Set aside.
3. Reheat the oil over medium heat. Add the green and black cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and bay leaf and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the mutton and ginger-garlic paste. Raise the heat to high and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes until the meat loses its raw pink colour and the liquid it releases has mostly dried up.
5. Lower the heat to medium. Add the coriander, chilli, turmeric and salt and stir for 2 minutes until the spices smell cooked and cling to the meat.
6. Take the pot off the heat for a minute, then stir in the onion-yogurt mixture a few spoonfuls at a time so it does not split. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes until the oil begins to separate around the edges.
7. Pour in 300 ml hot water and add the slit green chillies. Bring to a boil, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 60 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the meat is tender and pulls easily from the bone. Add a little hot water if the pot looks dry.
8. Stir in the almond paste and cream. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the gravy is thick, glossy and a layer of oil floats on top.
9. Sprinkle over the garam masala and kewra water, cover and rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Garnish with ginger matchsticks and coriander before serving.

Tips

• Keep the yogurt at room temperature and whisk it well; cold or lumpy yogurt is the usual reason a korma curdles.
• Brown the onions evenly and pull them out while golden. They keep cooking in the hot oil and turn bitter if left too long.
• Use a pressure cooker for the simmering stage if you prefer: cook for 25 to 30 minutes after the first boil, then reduce the gravy uncovered.
• Older mutton needs more time. Judge doneness by tenderness, not the clock.