Shahi White Lamb Korma (in the Instant Pot) Mamas Secret Recipes (2024)

Korma, the most popular dish in India now popular all over the world is a mildly spiced aromatic curry in a smooth and creamy yogurt based sauce. The best tasting Korma has subtle flavours infused by the whole garam masala spices. Korma is made with any kind of meat but especially with lamb or chicken. Though there are many variations of the Korma this particular korma recipe has its roots in the Moghlai cuisine of the Indian sub continent.

History of the Korma

Khorma probably originated from the Persian Khormeh. Though it is hard to trace its precise culinary trails, it is possible that it could have been created in the Moghul era in the 16th century by the Rajput cooks in the royal kitchens of Akbar the Moghul Emperor. It is believed they could have modified the meat stew from the persian cuisine and on creating the dish, named it Korma, in honour of the warrior Rajput ‘Kurma’ tribe. The Korma was always white to symbolize purity and the divine nature of the Emperor.

The Shahi White Lamb Korma was served to Shah Jahan and his guests at the inauguration of the Taj Mahal in India in the 17th century. He used to have all-white banquets on full-moon nights at the Agra Fort. The decor of the fort terrace from the carpets to the cushions and flowers was all in white, not only this, even the guests were dressed in white, and all the dishes served were white in colour. The white korma was later perfected at the tables of the gourmet Nawabs of Oudh in Lucknow.

The name ‘Shahi’ means royal, therefore I gave the name ‘Shahi Lamb Korma’ to it. It has a rich and creamy texture, subtle flavour and enhanced taste. When you have this for dinner, you are sure to get a good night’s sleep. Want to know why? Well, it’s the effect of the almond and poppy seed paste. Ha! Ha! Ha!

Its cooking technique

Korma or Khorma literally means braising the meat at a high temperature in ghee, yogurt, caramelized onions and whole spices, then slow cooking it on a low flame till completion. In the Moghlai times the dum pukht (slow cooking in an oven) method was used. The yogurt sauce is supposed to have a creamy, smooth and velvety texture so care was taken to cook it at a low controlled temperature (not letting it go above the boiling point) to prevent the yogurt from curdling. The curdling can also be avoided by using full fat yogurt and avoiding any salt or acidic ingredients like lemon juice except at the end.

This is another one of my white korma recipes but with a different flavour and cooking style. I tweaked the chicken white korma recipe that I had created earlier, played around with the spices to create the flavour I desired while trying to keep it as authentic to the original as possible. In this lamb korma I have used ground almond and poppy seed paste to give it a richness in taste and texture which makes all the difference. Those who have nut allergies and don’t like poppy seed flavour can use the chicken white korma recipe to make their lamb/veal/beef korma as well.

Cooking Korma in the Instant Pot

It is much quicker and easier to make this dish in the Instant Pot. In the video below I have used the meat function in the Instant Pot to tenderize the meat. You could also use the slow cook function if you are not in a rush or pressed for time. Though both the functions are very convenient to use in the Instant Pot, slow cooking has its own rewards of imparting rich and intense flavours to the meat as was Dum pukht cooking in olden times.

Ingredients:
2 lb Lamb/Veal with bone
1 large onion sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
2 x 2 inch cinnamon sticks
4 green cardamoms
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
4 tbs thick yogurt
4 tbs olive or vegetable oil
a few fresh mint leaves
a sprig of cilantro.
For the almond poppy seed paste:
15 almonds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbs white poppy seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Instructions:
1. Clean the lamb, wash, drain and set aside.
2. Switch on the Instant pot and set it to “sauté normal” position. Heat oil and toss in the whole garam masala spices followed by sliced onions. Fry the onions till just golden.
3. Meanwhile prepare the almond poppy seed paste by grinding together the almonds, white poppy seeds, fennel seeds and black pepper with 1/2 a cup of water in the Vitamix blender to a fine paste.
4. Spoon in 2 teaspoons of freshly ground ginger garlic paste. Stir a bit and then add the lamb and the pink himalayan salt or sea salt. Turn over and mix well till the meat just turns opaque.
5. Add the yogurt, green chillies, turn over and mix then stir in the ground almond poppy paste.
6. There’s no need to add any water, as the curry becomes a bit runny after adding the meat and the yogurt. If you find it too thick then add a 1/4 cup of water.
7. Cancel the sauté mode. Close the lid and set the pressure release valve to sealing position then hit the meat/stew button and set the time for 20 minutes.
8. When the cooking time is finished wait for a natural pressure release (NPR). Then check if the meat is tender and cooked just right. If it is still tough (likely to happen as some meats need more time to tenderize) close the lid and cook for 5 more minutes.
9. Cancel the meat/stew setting after the meat is cooked. The korma would be a bit runny like soup. So set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and cook slowly till the gravy becomes thick and the oil rises on top.
10. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with saffron rice or TandooriNaan.

Recipe Notes:
1. Soak the almonds and poppy seeds in water & blanch the almonds before grinding them together for a smooth white paste.
2. To make the korma look white, do not brown the onions but just sauté them lightly till translucent or golden.So keep everything ready. Browning the onions too dark may change the taste. So enough care should be taken while sautéing the onions.

Recipe