Lamb Korma with Almonds, Yogurt and Cream

Steps

1. Step 1

   Pat the lamb cubes dry, toss them with 1 tsp salt and leave them on a plate while you prepare everything else.

   5 min

   • 2 lb boneless lamb shoulder
   • 1 tsp salt
2. Step 2

   Put the almonds in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and let them soak. They will go into the blender later.

   15 min, hands-off

   • 1/2 cup blanched slivered or whole almonds
3. Step 3

   Heat the ghee in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Lower the heat if they darken at the edges. Scoop out about two-thirds of the onions with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a bowl, leaving the rest and the fat in the pot.

   18 min

   • 3 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
   • 3 medium yellow onions
4. Step 4

   Drain the almonds. Put them in a blender with the reserved fried onions, the garlic, the ginger and 1/2 cup of the water or stock. Blend to a smooth, pale paste, scraping down the sides as needed.

   5 min

   • 1/2 cup blanched slivered or whole almonds
   • 4 cloves garlic
   • 1 piece fresh ginger (2-inch)
   • 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
5. Step 5

   Raise the heat under the pot to medium-high. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the lamb and cook, turning the pieces, until lightly browned on most sides, about 6 minutes.

   7 min

   • 2 lb boneless lamb shoulder
   • 6 green cardamom pods
   • 1 piece cinnamon stick (2-inch)
   • 4 whole cloves
   • 2 bay leaves
6. Step 6

   Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the coriander, cumin, chili powder and turmeric and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the almond-onion paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

   3 min

   • 1 tbsp ground coriander
   • 1 tsp ground cumin
   • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or sweet paprika
   • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
7. Step 7

   With the heat still low, add the yogurt a couple of spoonfuls at a time, stirring constantly so it blends in smoothly rather than curdling. Once it is all in, stir in the remaining 1 cup water or stock and bring to a bare simmer.

   5 min

   • 1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
   • 1 cup water or chicken stock
8. Step 8

   Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until the lamb is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.

   1 hr 15 min, hands-off

9. Step 9

   Stir in the cream and garam masala and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Fish out the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, then taste and add salt. Scatter with cilantro and serve with naan or basmati rice.

   5 min

   • 1/3 cup heavy cream
   • 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
   • salt
   • 2 tbsp cilantro
   • naan or cooked basmati rice

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026