As the winter sets in firmly, we do need to fire up our energies to overcome the cold weather here. And what could be better than eating a lamb korma preparation. For this lamb preparation, I have used white poppy seed paste in place of blanched almonds, which of course is a way of incorporating nuts to get that rich gravy based curries such as kormas.A chicken shahi korma was made earlier -Here which of course was made with blanched almonds and yogurt.
I have made this korma little high on hotness note, which is, not what milder kormas are known over here. The Awadhi kormas are known for the right balance of hotness and spices, taking a clue from there, this is what we have made. Now, I would leave it just like that, without proclaiming it as “authentic” or “traditional” lamb korma. I have made garlic naan as well to dip into the juicy korma.
Lamb Korma – our way
Recipe requirements
- 1 kg of lamb/mutton
- 5 medium size onions
- 6-7 fat cloves of garlic
- 3-4 green chilies
- 30 Gms of white poppy seeds or 3-4 heaped tbs of poppy seeds roughly
- About an inch of fresh ginger
Seasonings
- 2 tsp of red pepper powder
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder
- 3-4 tsp of cumin+coriander powder
- 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp of nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp of salt or as required
- ½ cup of plain cooking oil- corn oil etc
Whole spices used at tempering- all slightly crushed
- 3-4 black cardamoms
- 5-6 green cardamoms
- 6-7 cloves
- About 1 tbs of whole black pepper corn
Other ingredients
- ½ cup of yogurt
- 2 tbs of cream
- Twp generous pinch of saffron soaked in water
- 2 tsp of kewra water
Method
- I have used leg steak and rib pieces for this preparation. You can use shoulder side as well. And we will cut into bite size pieces. Marinate these pieces with yogurt, salt and red pepper powder. Keep it marinating for about 2 hrs.
- First wet grind poppy seeds in a grinder.Add in roughly chopped onions, green chillies, garlic and ginger.
- Heat up a saucepan/kadai and add in corn oil. Now add in crushed whole cloves, black cardamom, green cardamoms, peppercorns.Let it crackle a little bit.
- Now add in the prepared paste of onions+green chillies+ginger+garlic +white poppy seeds.
- In a small bowl of water- mix in turmeric powder, cumin+coriander powder, cinnamon, nutmeg powders and salt. Add this paste in to the saucepan. Keep on stir/fry another 8-10 mints at med-high flame.
- When the masala paste dries up and the oil separates out by the sides. Add in marinating lamb pieces to the above. Now keep on braising the lamb pieces for about 15-20 mints.
- Now transfer this to a pressure cooker. Add in 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil. Lock the lid and cook till one whistle. Now lower the flame and let it cook for 10-15 mints.Alternately you can cook slowly on a stove-top, allow at least an hour to cook the lamb well.
- Stop cooking it further, open, once the pressure subsides. If you want semi-dry gravy, then you can scoop out the cooked lamb pieces and let the gravy come to a semi dry form, and then again transfer the cooked lamb pieces to the gravy and mix well.
- At the time of switching off the flame, add in kewra water, saffron water and cream, mix in well. Cover and let it rest for a while. If you want to serve it at the dinner time, make ahead in morning so that flavors incorporates well. At the time of serving, pop in to the preheated oven and heat it again or reheat over stovetop.And if you have left-overs, it tastes even better the next day.
Garlic Naan- Home-Made
Recipe requirements
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour/atta
- 1 cup of self raising flour
- 3-4 tbs of cooking oil
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 4-5 cloves garlic chopped coarsely
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of kalo jeerey/kalaunji/nigella seeds
- 1 tsp of active dry yeast
- ½ cup of whole milk
- ¼ tsp of salt or as per taste
- ½ tsp of dried herbs
Method
- In a big mixing bowl, mix in whole wheat flour and self raising flour. Mix in salt+sugar+garlic powder.
- Add in active dry yeast and nigella seeds to the above. Mix in well all the dry ingredients.
- Add in half cup of water to the whole milk and make it lukewarm.
- Add in cooking oil to the dry ingredients mixture.Rub it evenly all through.
- Now add in lukewarm diluted whole milk as required to knead into smooth dough.
- Once the dough starts to collect well, knead it again well. Cover it with a cotton towel and let it rest for about 2-3 hrs or till the dough has risen up well preferably in a moist and warm place.
- When the dough has raised well. Divide it into 7-8 portions.
- Take one portions, put in chopped garlic and dried herbs.
- Now roll in to tear shape or eliptical shape or what ever way you prefer pressing down chopped garlic and dried herb onto the unbaked naan.
- Preheat an oven at about 200 deg C. Place those unbaked naan on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake it for 10 mints. Take out, flip the naan and again transfer to bake it further 5 mints at same temperature.
- When all the naans are baked similarly, put them in a serving bowl; preferably keep it cover so that it remains hot and soft. Serve and enjoy it with lamb korma.
Happy Cooking Friends
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