Indian Mutton Korma (Goat Korma)

Mutton Korma is a luxurious Indian meat dish of tender pieces of bone-in mutton meat (goat meat, or lamb) slow-cooked in an aromatic fried onions and yogurt gravy. I am sharing authentic Lucknawi (awadhi) style mutton korma in this post, which is a little different from mughlai style korma.

Serve mutton korma with indian flatbreads like naan, or plain paratha. Or pair with jeera rice, or egg pulao and a fresh kachumber salad for a hearty meal.

Here I am, presenting yet another delectable meat dish. You'll notice that several ingredients in this korma overlap with those in bhuna gosht or goat curry. However, the distinction lies in the cooking technique which of course, leads to a unique taste profile. You're going to love this delightful meat dish!

I cook vegetarian versions like paneer korma or navratan korma often, however I tasted meat korma for the first time in the fall of 2014 at my friend's Thanksgiving table. It isn't a dish from my childhood, but it has firmly secured it's place in my repertoire ever since.

This authentic mutton korma recipe is a gift from my dearest friend who graciously shared her tips & tricks with me. This variation stands in stark contrast to the heavy cream, nut pastes or coconut milk flavored korma from mughlai cuisine that you will usually find on restaurant menus.

What is Korma

Korma or qorma is a popular dish in the indian subcontinent. This delicious dish is extensively prepared in North India and Pakistan on special occasions. The technique of preparing traditional korma involves braising the meat or vegtables in a spiced yogurt or cream mixture.

The authentic flavor of any korma relies on a vivid blend of spices, that are skillfully combined with yogurt, and then meticulously integrated with the meat. We dont add a lot of watrer, the liquid from yogurt and meat juices are primarily utilized in slow cooking.

Korma dishes have roots in the royal kitchens from when the mughal empire ruled over India. Korma dishes are often also referred to as shahi korma because of their association with royal kitchens (shahi dastarkhwans). Korma curries are rich and indulgent and certainly not for an everyday, ordinary meal.

Over the years, many interpretations of korma have developed across india. In restaurants, you will most commonly find mughlai korma made with ground nuts, white poppy seeds and heavy cream. The south indian rendition, or kurma is lighter and includes ingredients such as coconut milk.

About Mutton Korma

Then, there is this awadhi mutton korma in which meat is marinated in fried onion, yogurt and fragrant spices before slow cooking. The taste profile of awadhi korma is mildly tangy, delicate, aromatic and very rich.

Mutton korma is traditionally made with bone-in pieces of meat and slow cooked, both of which add rich and complex flavors to the dish. That said, you can certainly opt for boneless cuts like lamb leg or lamb shoulder in this recipe. While pressure cooker or instant pot can expedite the process, the deep flavors that result from a slow, leisurely cooking are non negotiable!

My korma recipe is remarkably straightforward but requires a bit of advance planning. Start the night before by marinating thawed meat, whether it's mutton, goat meat, or lamb meat.

Marinate for 8-12 hours in a mixture of yogurt, spices, and the fried onions. The next day, all that's left to do is slow cook this flavorful concoction, and you'll have a delicious korma ready to enjoy.

What makes an authentic meat korma?

Its all about fried onions & sweet spices. While you go through this list, keep in mind that mughlai style korma is cooked slightly differently.

• Crispy fried onions are an essential component of authentic korma dishes. In South Asian cuisine, these fried onions, also known as "birista," are simply sliced onions slowly deep fried in oil without the addition of any other ingredients. Most commonly you would see these fried onions being used in layers of biryani. You can either use store-bought fried onions or prepare them at home. Once onions are fried, they become sweet and nutty, and contribute a deep and flavorful element to the korma.
• Another key aspect of korma is the use of sweet-smelling spices that impart warmth without overwhelming spiciness. These aromatic spices include green cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and mace.
• Thirdly, there is little to no turmeric powder in authentic korma. If its added, it is to push forward the color of red chilli powder or dye white korma sauce into yellowish.
• No fresh herbs like cilantro or mint. No tomatoes, the tang comes from yogurt.
• Some people liking using blanched almonds in their korma, you can add too, however I don't.

How To Make Mutton Korma (Step By Step Pictures)

Deep Fry The Onions

1. Peel onion skins.Cut onion lengthwise into half. Sliced each half of the onion. Onion slices should not be too thick or thin. (see image 1)
2. Warm up a generous quantity of oil (1-1.5 cup) in a wide cooking pot (wok shaped is great) on high heat.

Tip #1 - We are not going to cook the korma in that much oil. To make sure that onions fry properly and not get sweaty and turn into a paste, we need a lot of oil for deep frying.

3. Add the sliced onions to the hot oil (image2). Reduce to medium flame. Now, let onions fry for next 10-14 minutes.
4. Initially, after 3-4 minutes you will see onions will soften and release their moisture (image 3 & 4). Don't stir too much at this point else onions will start breaking. We don't want that. We want onions slices to retain their shape.
5. In about 8-10 minutes, you will see many onions getting brown. Stir 1-2 times at this point for even browning(image 4).
6. Once the onions acquire a golden brown color(image 6), immediately using a slotted spoon, pick and place on a paper towel.
7. Let fried onions sit and cool down completely. They will deepen in color and get crispy. We want them to get crispy so that we can crush them.
8. Remove the paper towel and reserve a few fried onions for later. Using your hands, crush the rest as finely as you can(image 8).

Marination

9. Optional Step - Dry roast the whole spices in a small pan for enhanced potency before marination.
10. Place goat pieces/ mutton pieces in the cooking pot (or enamaled dutch oven) that you are going to cook it in. Add yogurt, coriander powder, red chili powder, garlic paste and whole spices - cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.

Tip #2 - Marinating the meat in the cooking pot itself saves you an extra dish!

11. Add the crushed fried onions and salt. Add about 5 -6 tablespoons of oil in which we fried the onion.

Tip #3- Save the rest of the oil in which we deep fried the onions and use it for cooking any savory curry.

12. Mix everything together to coat the meat nicely. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours or 8-10 hours. (overnight is ideal).

Slow Cook The Mutton Korma

13. Pull the marinated meat out of the refrigerator 1 to 1.5 hours prior to cooking.

Tip # 4 - The closer the marinated meat is to room temperature when you start cooking, the tender it cooks out. Straight out of the refrigerator mutton become chewy because the cold meat shrinks immediately as soon as you put it on stove.

14. Place the dutch oven on a medium flame stove. Start the bhunai (browning) of the meat. Don't go too low on heat, else meat will immediately get watery.
15. Bhuno(fry) the meat for good 10-12 minutes. You will see it acquiring a deep brown color and the moisture from yogurt and meat juices releasing.
16. Add ¾ to 1 cup hot water at this stage and cover the pot. Cook the meat on low heat for next 1 to 1.5 hour or until its soft and tender. Check a few times in between, and add little water if you feel that meat is getting dryish. Don't add a lot of water, korma sauce has a thickish (not runny) consistency.

Tip # 5 - We don't prefer falling off the bone meat, so the cooking times are mentioned accordingly. Please adjust as needed depending on the desired tenderness and size of meat pieces.

17. As the meat cooks on low flame, the oil separates and it becomes tender. Once fully soft and tender, add the ginger juliennes,  green cardamom powder, mace powder  and using a grater, grate some nutmeg on top. Add few drops of kewra water and a spoonful of ghee. Simmer for 7-8 more minutes.
18. Let mutton korma rest for 10-20 minutes before serving. It will thicken as it rests.

How To Use This Recipe To Make Chicken Korma

• Use skinless bone-in chicken with a balance of lean and dark meat portions.
• Chicken cookes faster as compared to red meat. So don't add the water in step 16 above before closing the lid of the cooking pot. Let chicken cook for 10-12 minutes, open the lid and see how much water it has released, you may adjust using ⅓ to ½ cup water.
• Rest of the recipe remains the same.

Recipe Tips

• Cooking Pot - Use a non reactive cooking pot for cooking this korma. Cast iron pots are a big no. You could use enamaled cast iron (I do the same).
• Meat - Bone in gosht (meat) works best. Choose fresh, good quality meat with an assortment of lean and fatty cuts. You could use boneless lamb in this recipe to make lamb korma.
• Heat Levels- Korma dishes are much milder than regular meat curries, red chilli powder is mostly added for color. You may use some slit green chillies if you desire a kick.
• Fried Onions - Deep fried onions form the soul of korma. Take your time to fry the onions to golden brown and don't skimp on oil while deep frying. Take care that the onions don't turn black- makes them bitter and the taste of korma will be spoiled.
• Don't skip marination - Yogurt in the marinade really tenderizes the meat and infuses it with flavor, marinate for atleast 4 hours.
• Yogurt - Since yogurt is one of the most important ingredients in this korma recipe, make sure that the yogurt is not too sour. Use whole yogurt for best taste.
• Creamy Korma- If you desire a creamy korma, add 1-2 tablespoon of ground almond or cashew paste to this recipe.
• Plan Leftovers - Korma dishes taste much better next day. You may double this recipe if you wish.

Serving Suggestions

• Indian Flatbreads - Are the best vessel to scoop the luxurious korma sauce. You may serve doughy naan or flaky plain paratha on the side.
• Rice - Pair with jeera rice or steamed basmati rice.
• Royal feast - For a royal feast at home, serve goat korma with shami kebab or seekh kebab, jeera rice, naan, kachumber salad for a delighful indian night!

Troubleshooting

• Tough Meat: Make sure that you bring the marinated meat to room temperature befor cooking. If the goat meat is tough, it may not have cooked long enough. Continue to simmer on low heat until the meat becomes tender.
• Curdled Yogurt - This is one of the most common problem with yogurt heavy sauces. Unfortunately, once curdled, there cannot be much done to save yogurt sauce. However, for future, always cook on low heat and in the beginning, you have to keep stirring until the yogurt warms up.
• Lack of Flavor: If your korma lacks flavor after it has finished cooking, adjust the salt, and consider adding a bit of garam masala powder for depth. A touch of red chilli flakes or chopped green chillies also help pep up the flavors.