Mild, creamy, aromatic lamb korma curry, made with lamb, yoghurt, coconut milk, and a handful of classic Indian spices. Korma curry is a popular Indian restaurant dish, mild in heat but the flavour is not bland. A must-try delicious lamb curry the whole family can enjoy!
We love easy dinner recipes like Easy Keema Rice and Lamb Mince Curry which are also our family and readers' favourite.
Korma curry is our little one's favourite curry that we always have to order from local Indian takeaways. In this post, I am sharing our homemade version of the lamb korma recipe with simple ingredients and easy cooking steps.
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What is Korma Curry?
Korma curries are the mildest curries which are originated in India and are recreated in the UK and across the world. Lamb Korma curry is also known as mutton korma, juicy tender slow-braised lamb in a yoghurt and coconut curry sauce. British Indian Restaurant ( BIR ) style korma curries are usually made with chicken, lamb, or mutton cooked in a smooth creamy yellowish korma sauce. This dish is perfect for people who love aromatic curry with less chilli heat.
Korma sauce is the key to this dish and the thick creamy sauce is made from onions, garlic, ginger, yoghurt, coconut milk or almond powder. The main difference from other curries is the sauce base. Most Indian curry gravy base is made from tomatoes and onions but this recipe does not contain tomatoes.
Why do we love this recipe
- Perfect crowd pleasing curry that you can impress your guests. It's always a hit in family gatherings and dinner parties.
- So simple to make at home from scratch without much hassle. No base gravy or readymade curry paste needed.
- This recipe is adaptable, you can customize the spices to your preference.
- Great for prep-ahead and reheat well. Fridge and freezer friendly too! And I am sure after trying this recipe, you will add this recipe in your favourite curry list!
Ingredients used
These curry ingredients are surprisingly simple but they work perfectly well. Following is the quick explanation and detailed measurements are in the recipe card.
Which lamb cut to buy? Use any lamb cut, lamb shoulder, lamb leg or lamb stew meat works well with this korma curry. Marbling in the meat keeps the meat moist and juicy, so a little fat is good to keep but trim the excess fatty part.
Spices and Herbs: I added bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin seeds to bring more flavour to the curry sauce. Highly recommend keeping these ingredients in your pantry if you love Indian curries. You can store them in air-tight jars to keep them dry and last longer.
Chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and coriander powder are basic spices that you must add.
Ghee: Ghee has a rich, buttery, nutty flavour that can create your home cook curry an authentic flavour.
Yoghurt: You can either use plain natural yoghurt or Greek yoghurt. Instead of yoghurt, double cream ( heavy cream ) can be used.
Coconut milk: Use the full-fat creamy coconut milk for this recipe. Or you can also use coconut milk powder or almond powder. But I personally love to use creamy coconut milk.
How to make toasted almonds? Crispy toasted almond flakes are ideal for this recipe. You can buy almond flakes at the supermarket baking sections. Heat the pan into low-medium heat and keep stirring until the almond flakes become slightly brown and crisp. Do not need any oil or butter.
How to make Lamb Korma
- First, marinate the lamb with yogurt and spices for at least 15 minutes. You can marinate overnight in the fridge, if you have time.
- Heat the pan into medium heat, melt the ghee and add the oil. Follow with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin seeds.
- Once the spices start to sizzle add the chopped onions. Continue stir until the onions are translucent, then add garlic and ginger paste.
- Cook until the onions are slightly brown, then add the spices, turmeric, chilli, garam masala and coriander powder.
- Add the marinated lamb pieces, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the meat is sealed.
- Next pour the water and bring it to simmer. Reduce the heat into low-meidum heat, add salt to taste and stir in the yoghurt and half of coconut milk ( 3 tbsp ).
- Close the lid and simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed. ( It usually take 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes to achieve the juciy tender meat result. Depending on the lamb cut used, cooking time can be varied. )
- Remove the lid and check the meat with with fork or spoon. Once the meat is tender, add the rest of coconut milk ( 3 tbsp ) and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Make a taste and add more salt or water to your preference. If the sauce is too thick, add more water. If the sauce need to reduce, cook for few minutes to your desire consistency.
- Transfer to serving plate and garnish with coriander and toasted almond flakes.
Cooking tips
- Use freshly grated garlic and ginger instead of readymade one. Fresh herbs and spices eliminate all the gamey smell of meat.
- Do not skip the marinating process, as marinating with yogurt and spices creates the lamb meat moist, tender, and flavourful.
- Remove any excess blood from the meat by patting with a paper towel.
- Recommend to use the large heavy bottom pot or pan to maintain the heat and distribute it evenly.
FAQ
You can either use lamb stew meat, lamb leg or shoulder for this curry. Bone-in lamb meat can take a little bit longer time to cook.
Slow cooking and marinating with yoghurt are key to transforming tougher meat into a fall-apart meat result.
Once it is cooked, cool down completely, then add in a freezer-safe container or freezer bags. It usually lasts in the fridge for a couple of months.
Reheat on the stovetop over low-medium until piping hot. Add two to three tablespoons of water to keep the meat and curry sauce nice and moist. ( Add more water if needed. ) If you are reheating with a microwave, add the curry to the microwave-safe dish and reheat for 5-8 minutes or until piping hot. Add a splash of water and stir occasionally.
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📖 Recipe
Lamb Korma Recipe
Ingredients
Lamb and mariande
- 500 g Lamb About 18oz, Boneless lamb/mutton, cut into 2" pieces
- 1 tsp Garlic Garlic paste/grated
- 1 tsp Ginger Ginger paste/grated
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tbsp Yoghurt Natural plain yoghurt or greek yoghurt
- ½ tsp Salt
Curry Ingredients & Spices
- 3-4 Shallot Or brown onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Garlic Grated garlic or garlic paste
- 2 tsp Ginger Grated ginger or ginger paste
- 1 tsp Chilli powder Or paprika powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1½ tsp Garam masala
- ½ tsp Coriander powder
- 3 tbsp Yoghurt Plain or Greek yoghurt
- 6 tbsp Coconut milk Full fat cream coconut milk
- 1½ cup Water Add more water if needed
- 2 tbsp Ghee Or Butter
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil Vegetable, sunflower, canola or neutral flavour oil
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 5-6 Green Cardamom
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1½ tsp Salt Or salt to taste
Garnish
- Coriander Roughtly chopped
- Almond flakes Toasted
Instructions
- First, season the lamb with chilli, turmeric, garam masala, grated ginger, garlic, and yoghurt. Mix it well and marinate for at least 15 minutes to 1 hour.
- Heat the heavy bottom pan into medium heat, melt the ghee, and drizzle 2 tablespoon of oil. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cumin seeds. Saute the spices with medium heat and follow with the chopped onions. Once the onions are translucent, add garlic and ginger.
- Stir well until the onions are slightly brown, then add turmeric, chilli, garam masala, and coriander powder. Stir just for few seconds and make sure not to burn the spices.
- Follow with the marinated lamb pieces, stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes until the meat is sealed. Then pour the water in and bring to to simmer.
- Reduce the heat into low-medium heat and stir in the yoghurt and half of coconut milk ( 3 tbsp ). Season with salt. Close the lid and simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed.
- Remove the lid and check the meat with with fork or spoon. If the meat is fall-apart tender, add the rest of coconut milk 3tbsp and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Make a taste test and adjust salt and water. If the sauce is too thick, add more water. If the sauce need to reduce, cook for few minutes to your desire consistency.
- Transfer to serving plate and garnish with coriander and toasted almond flakes. Serve with plain rice, naan or chapati.
Video
Notes
- What to serve with lamb korma curry? Simply serve it with plain basmati rice, pulao rice, naan, or chapati.
- Can you freeze it? Allow cooling to room temperature and freeze it in an air-tight container or freezer bag.
- Can you reheat it? Add a splash of water and reheat in a microwave or stovetop until piping hot.
- Cooking time can be varied depending on the meat cut used. It usually takes 1 hour to 1 and half hours to become super tender.
Debbie says
Really love this recipe, thank you. It’s so fresh tasting and so much better than a curry made with a bought paste. It’s the third time I’ve made it twice with lamb neck and once with mutton - and I think the mutton was the winner.
I doubled the recipe, added two tins of chick peas and 3 green peppers - this made enough for 12 people so I could freeze several batches. I also added a handful of ground almonds as I didn’t have flaked. Worked perfectly.
Debbie says
Really impressed by this recipe, thank you. I doubled the recipe (just 900 grams of diced lamb leg) and added a tin of chickpeas. Also added 4 tbsp of ground almonds instead of adding then at the end. It was a little watery after 1.5 hours, so cooked for another half hour. I think some green bell pepper would have been nice too, I’ll add that next time. Lamb was super tender and the spices just perfect to taste.
Khin says
Love it with extra, chickepeas and ground almonds. So glad that you enjoyed it, Debbie.
Suziblue says
Trying this dish have tried quite a few other dishes love how easy it is to make super food with fresh ingredients love khins kitchen number 1 fan thank you for sharing x
Khin says
I am so glad to hear it, Suzi. Thank you for trying our this curry recipe and sharing lovely feedback.
Alan Khoo says
Hi Khin, can I use chicken for the meat.
Thanks
Khin says
Hi Alan, definitely, you can use chicken thigh, breast, or bone-in chicken pieces. Hope you enjoy this recipe.
Paula says
Hi Khin, thanks for posting this recipe. I’ve been finding good lamb curry to cook for my family this weekend. I want to know if I can add evaporated milk instead of coconut milk as my son doesn’t like coconut flavour.
Khin says
Hi Paula, you can use evaporated milk or single cream instead of creamy coconut milk. Hope you enjoy trying it out.