Mutton korma
Photo: Sharnab neogi · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Korma comes from the Mughal court kitchens; the food historian Neha Vermani traces its first mention to cookery books from the reign of Shah Alam. It is eaten with sheermal, a saffron flatbread. In Old Delhi, Karim's, open since 1913, now counts mutton qorma among its classics, and Al Jawahar across from Jama Masjid serves it with khameeri roti.

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Common allergens: Dairy, Tree nuts

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 800g bone-in mutton, cut into pieces
  • 4 tablespoons ghee
  • 3 onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 200g thick plain yoghurt, whisked
  • 2 bay leaves, 4 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons almond paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • A pinch of saffron in 2 tablespoons warm milk
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. Fry the onions in the ghee until deep brown and crisp; lift out, cool, and blend to a paste with a splash of yoghurt.
  2. Fry the whole spices in the same ghee for 30 seconds, add the ginger garlic paste, then the mutton, and sear 8 minutes.
  3. Add the chilli, coriander and salt, then the yoghurt a little at a time, stirring so it does not split.
  4. Stir in the browned onion paste, add 300ml water, cover and cook on low heat for 1.5 hours until tender.
  5. Add the almond paste and garam masala and simmer 10 minutes.
  6. Finish with the saffron milk and rest 10 minutes before serving.

Tip from the editors. Take the onions properly brown but never black; they set the colour and the flavour of the gravy.

Where to eat mutton korma

Mutton korma in Delhi

Karim's ★ 4.6

$$ MughlaiOld Delhi

Karim's has served Mughlai kebabs and curries in Gali Kababian by Jama Masjid in Old Delhi since 1913, cooking from recipes passed down through generations.

OrderThe mutton burra, then mutton qorma with sheermal to mop up the gravy.

TipThe lane is narrow and busiest in the evening; the kitchen runs from 09:00 until 01:00, so a late lunch is the calm window.

Directions

Al Jawahar ★ 4.4

$$ MughlaiOld Delhi

Al Jawahar faces Gate 1 of Jama Masjid on Matia Mahal Road in Old Delhi, a Mughlai room known for mutton qorma, badam pasanda and yeasted khameeri roti.

OrderThe badam pasanda in almond gravy, or mutton qorma with khameeri roti.

TipIt stays open until midnight; during Ramzan the Matia Mahal lane outside fills with haleem pots and kebab grills after sunset.

Directions

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