How to Cook Korma – Simple Recipe

HOW TO COOK MUTTON KORMA 

A Simple Recipe 

By 

VIKRAM KARVE 

Dear Reader: Let me delve into “Foodie Archives” and pull out my recipe for one of the first dishes I learnt to cook as a young boy...

Simple Curry – Mutton Korma – Easy to Cook  – Tastes Delicious

Long back – in the late 1960’s – or early 1970’s I think – in Bareilly – we once went for a meal in a restaurant called “Rio” – if I remember correctly. 

(I wonder if “Rio” Restaurant still exists in Bareilly)

As everyone ordered chicken and veg dishes – I wanted to have mutton that day. 

And – in the list of the usual mutton dishes – I spotted Mutton Korma – and – I decided to eat it. 

Being an inquisitive person – I wanted to know what “Korma” meant. 

So – I asked the cooks over there what was the meaning of “Korma”.

They told me that Korma means gravy made without Haldi (turmeric). 

Is this a fact...? 

Can some culinary expert tell us more about this – is this true – or is it just a myth...? 

If you google “Korma” – you will see that “Korma” is defined as a mildly spiced Indian curry dish of meat or fish or vegetables marinated in yogurt or curds. 

But – I will stick to the definition that the cooks in Rio Restaurant Bareilly told me almost 50 years ago that “Korma means gravy made without Haldi (turmeric)”

RECIPE FOR MUTTON KORMA

I was curious – so the cooks allowed me into the kitchen – and they let me see this simple dish being prepared.

This is the first non-veg recipe I learnt – and I used to make it often – because it is simple and straightforward to cook. 

In fact – I have learnt most recipes by watching the dishes being made in restaurant kitchens – and later – when I was in the Navy – I used to observe talented Navy Cooks prepare typical Navy Cuisine Dishes in Ships’ Galleys. 

Now coming back to Korma – let me share the recipe for a simple Mutton Korma with you. 

In a nutshell – Korma is a braised dish – the meat is first fried in spiced sauce (comprising masalas and pastes) – and then – it is stewed slowly in a closed container. 

So – first let us start with frying the masalas, pastes and mutton.

Place a thick bottomed vessel on your stove – add a generous quantity of pure ghee – yes – pure ghee (clarified butter) – switch on your stove – turn on the heat – and – heat the pure ghee till it is hot. 

(I never “pressure cook” meat – as I feel – slow cooking brings out the taste best). 

Add the whole masalas [tejpatta (bay leaf), choti and badi elaichi (small and big cardamom), laung (cloves), dalchini (cinnamon), kali miri (peppercorn)]

Saute the whole masalas – till they start crackling.

Then – put in lots of finely chopped onions – and fry the onions till brown and crisp.

Add ginger-garlic paste, red chillies – and fry till the moisture evaporates.

Then add the mutton pieces – and stir lightly – and gently roast the mutton in its own juices till dry. 

Now add whipped curd (yoghurt) – and let the mutton cook in the curd – stirring very slightly from time to time.

When the gravy becomes dry – and starts sticking to the bottom – lower the heat – add water to cover the mutton. 

Then – cover the vessel – and simmer on slow fire – stirring once every few minutes. 

If required – you can add a bit of water so that the mutton does not stick to the vessel. 

Cook slowly – till the mutton is done 

You must keep sampling to see that the mutton is done to your taste – and the cooking process should take between 20 to 40 minutes – depending on the quality of mutton – and how you like it done. 

When almost ready – add salt to taste – sprinkle a little cardamom powder for flavour – and give a final simmering boil to the curry – take off from the fire – and then – as a final touch – garnish with fresh green coriander leaves.

The Mutton Korma is ready to eat with chapati, roti, pav, or rice – whatever you like. 

I used to like cooking and eating Mutton Korma.

It is simple to cook – no fancy laborious time-consuming preparations and marinades – it is not too spicy – korma tastes nice and mild – and the dish is ready to eat in less than an hour. 

KORMA – What is the true meaning of Meaning of “Korma”...?

About the “turmeric” part – will someone please enlighten us...? 

Is it true that “Korma means gravy made without Haldi (turmeric)” – as the cook in Bareilly had told me almost 50 years ago...?

I cook korma without Haldi (turmeric) – but I have seen recipes of korma which include turmeric. 

Try out this simple dish – you will relish the freshly prepared delicious steaming mutton korma with piping hot chapatis/rotis/phulkas or fresh fluffy pav or buns/bread or even rice. 

You can improvise a bit – add cashew paste to make the Korma thicker and yummier – or like they do in South India – add coconut milk to get a distinctive “Coastal” flavour.

I love a vegetarian dish called Navratan Korma too – it is nice and sweetish.

I don’t know how to make Navratan Korma – but from the taste – it seems that Navratan Korma too doesn’t contain Haldi (turmeric) 

So maybe – the definition of Korma as told to me by the cook in Bareilly is correct: 

“Korma means Gravy made without Haldi (turmeric)...” 

Happy Cooking and Blissful Eating...!

VIKRAM KARVE

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Disclaimer:

1. This is an “experimental” recipe – so try it at your own risk. I suggest you vary the Exact Quantity/Proportion of ingredients as per your culinary experience and taste.

2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Updated Version of My Recipe MUTTON KORMA posted by me Vikram Karve online earlier a number of times in my various Blogs including at urls: http://creative.sulekha.com/simple-cooking-mutton-korma_329697_blog  and  http://creative.sulekha.com/delicious-mutton-korma-curry_377866_blog  and  https://vwkarve.wordpress.com/category/bareilly/  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/07/delicious-mutton-curry-korma-made.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/06/cooking-made-simple-mutton-korma.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/11/mutton-korma-made-simple-easy-cooking.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2016/01/mutton-korma-simple-recipe.html etc