Lamb korma
In this Moghul dish, the lamb is cooked in a spiced yogurt sauce thickened with poppy seeds and almonds.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups thick plain yogurt
- small piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 4 hot green chile peppers, seeds removed and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp blanched almonds
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- small piece of cinnamon stick
- 3 mace blades
- 1⁄2 tsp cumin or black cumin seeds
- 4 whole cloves seeds from 4 brown cardamom pods
- 10 black peppercorns
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2lb (1kg) lean boneless lamb, cut into cubes
- 1⁄4 tsp powdered saffron soaked in 1 tbsp water
- salt
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Directions: set a fine strainer over a bowl and strain the yogurt in it for 1 hour. Discard the whey in the bowl. Blend the ginger, chile peppers, garlic, and 3 tbsp water to a paste. Grind together the almonds and all the spices. Heat the oil or ghee in a big, heavy-based saucepan and sauté the onion till golden. Stir in the ginger paste and the ground almonds and spices, and sauté for 2–3 minutes more. Add the meat and stir well to coat it with the spices. Add the yogurt and saffron, season with salt, and cover the pan tightly. Simmer over very low heat for 11⁄2–2 hours, till the lamb is tender. Stir frequently to make sure it isn’t sticking; if necessary, add a little water. Garnish with the cilantro.
