Legend has it that the korma was created in the royal kitchen of Akbar in the mid-1500 century. In all possibility, this fusion of Persian and Indian cuisine was done by the Rajputs employed in the service of Jodhabai. The most likely ingredients were — mutton, yoghurt, spices and lots of saffron. Turmeric was rarely used in the royal kitchen to cook meat dishes.

Modern korma is a mild creamy aromatic base in which vegetables or meat are simmered. Heavy cream and coconut milk are used to make the mild creamy sauce with subtle aromatic spices such as cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon. Strong spices such as chilli, cumin and black pepper are avoided. At times, they will even add in a few tomatoes. 

Creamy chicken korma

Ingredients

1 whole skinless chicken, cut into 10 pieces

1 cup plain yoghurt, beaten well

1 tbsp fresh garlic paste

3 tbsp ghee

4 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

4 cardamom pods

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp ground almonds

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp golden raisins, plus more for garnish

4 Thai bird chillies

2-3 tbsp slivered almonds

Method

Trim and wash chicken pieces well and drain thoroughly. Place the chicken in a large bowl and mix with yoghurt, garlic and ginger. Marinate for an hour. Heat ghee in a pan and sauté sliced onions on medium heat until golden brown. Add cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves stirring until fragrant. 

Add marinated chicken and salt, raising the temperature to medium high. Stir frequently until water and juices separate from the chicken to create a gravy. Cover and stir occasionally. 

When the gravy is reducing, add lemon juice, almond, sugar, raisins, and chillies. Check to see if sugar has balanced out the tartness of the yoghurt. Cover and cook 

another 5 minutes on medium low and remove from the heat. 

Sprinkle with rose water, garnish with almonds, raisins and fried onions. Serve hot with pulao, biryani or steamed rice.

Pakistani mutton korma

Ingredients

1 kg mutton

8-10 black pepper corns

5 cloves

2 cinnamon stick

2 black cardamom pods

4 green cardamoms pods

2 tbsp coriander powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp garlic

2 bay leaves

1 tsp white cumin 

½ tsp cumin powder

¼ cup thick curd (strained)

1 cup onion, sliced

Salt to taste

1 tsp kewra water

½ tsp nutmeg powder

¼ tsp mace

4 cups water

1inch ginger

1 green chill

¼ cup ghee

Water as needed

Method

First add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, white cumin, clove, cinnamon, black peppercorns, green cardamom, and bay leaves, and mix well. Then add meat to the mixture, apply spice over the meat and store aside for 30 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan, add sliced onion and fry until golden brown. 

Take out the fried onions and grind finely. Fry garlic till it turns brown, add marinated meat. Mix well and add 2 cups of water, let it cook on low heat. When meat is tenderised, increase the heat. Add fried onion, mix well. 

Add little water if the gravy has evaporated too much. Now add nutmeg and mace powder, cook in low flame for 5-6 minutes. When the gravy is ready and oil floats over, turn off the stove. Add kewra and cover the pan. Mutton korma is ready!

South Indian egg korma

Ingredients

6 boiled eggs

2 tbsp ghee, 1 bay leaf

1 inch cinnamon stick

2 green cardamom pods

1 thin strand mace

1 small star anise

½ tsp shahi jeera

3/4 cup finely chopped onions

1 green chilli slit

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

3/4 cup roughly chopped tomatoes

Pinch of turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp fennel seeds

Curry leaves as required

Salt to taste

To grind —

3 tbsp chopped coconut

2 tbsp poppy seeds, 8 cashew nuts

Method

Heat oil in a pan and sauté whole spices until they begin to crack. In the same pan, fry onions until golden brown. Sauté ginger-garlic paste till the raw smell disappears. To the onions add tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Fry until they turn soft. Add spice powders and mix well. Add coconut, poppy seeds and cashew nut paste, fry for a while. Add eggs and water just enough to cover the eggs partially. Switch off when the gravy reaches a desired consistency. Add a few curry leaves and serve.

Fish korma

Ingredients

½ kg rui fish, cut into pieces

½ cup yoghurt, ½ cup onion paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

½ tsp garlic paste

½ tbsp coriander paste

3 cardamom pods

1inch cinnamon, 2 pieces

3/4 cup ghee, 6 green chillies

1 tbsp kewra, 1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Method

Cut and wash the fish. In a cooking dish, mix all ingredients except green chillies and kewra. Cook covered on low heat. Turn over the fish once (be careful of the oil as it may splatter). When the water has almost evaporated, add the green chillies, little water and kewra. Cook another 20 minutes in very low heat. When the oils begins to float on top, remove from heat and serve hot.

Vegetable korma

Ingredients

500g mixed vegetables, potato, carrot, cauliflowers, capsicum (cut into cube)

500ml vegetable stock

200 g green peas

½ cup yoghurt

2 tbsp ground almonds

1 tbsp oil

2 onion, finely chopped

3 cardamom pods, bashed

1 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp turmeric

1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 garlic clove, crushed, 1 tsp ginger, chopped

Toasted almonds and coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Heat oil in a large pan. Cook onion with dry spices over low heat for 5-6 minutes until the onion turns light golden. Add chillies, garlic and ginger, cook for one minute. Now add mixed vegetables, yoghurt and cook for five minutes. Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add green peas and almond, cook for another 3 minutes or till the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle toasted almond and coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or naan.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Food styling and preparation: LS Desk