Lamb Korma
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A cozy and comforting Lamb Korma made with lamb shoulder, infused with lots of classic Indian spices in a creamy and aromatic coconut curry. This rich and flavorful lamb curry is surprisingly easy to make, and perfect for the whole family to enjoy!
Foolproof Delicious Lamb Korma Recipe
I have to admit that I only eat lamb about a couple times per year, so when I actually do eat it, I want it to be worth it. This Lamb Korma is definitely worth it. The korma is creamy with a luxurious texture, the lamb is incredibly tender because it’s slowly cooked, and the flavor is rich and delicious from all the incredible Indian spices.
Korma is all about building layers of flavors so you’ll want to use quality spices to get the utmost flavor here. If you do, and follow the recipe as written at least the first time you make this, you’ll be rewarded with the most luxurious lamb curry.
Lamb Korma Highlights
- Surprisingly Easy To Make. While this lamb korma does require a few classic Indian spices, once all your prep work is done, this curry is quite easy to make and all in one pot.
- Rich And Flavorful. This Korma is made with lamb shoulder which is a beautifully rich and tender cut of meat. The lamb shoulder is spiced with lots of great Indian spices, giving this curry tons of flavor.
- Better Than Takeout. Lamb Korma is a favorite at Indian restaurants, but now you can make this in the comfort of your home. Your family will thank you!
- Lamb – You’ll need either lamb shoulder or leg of lamb, cut into bite size pieces. I used lamb shoulder, which I’ve trimmed some of the fat from.
- Onion – White or yellow onions, thinly sliced.
- Garlic and ginger – I used fresh garlic and ginger here which are essential to add lots of flavor to this curry. You can also use a garlic and ginger paste.
- Ghee – Ghee is clarified butter that’s been simmered and strained to remove all water from it. If you don’t have it, simply sub it with regular butter or vegetable oil.
- Yogurt – You’ll need Greek yogurt or any plain yogurt. You can sub with sour cream.
- Coconut Milk – You’ll need a cup of coconut milk to add creaminess to our curry. You can sub this with heavy cream.
- Spices – You’ll need some classic Indian spices, such as cardamom pods and ground, a cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander, chili powder and Kashmiri chili powder. The one unique spice here is the Kashmiri chili powder which is made from milder dried chilies and has a very vibrant red color. If you don’t have this, simply sub it with more regular chili powder.
- Fry the onion. Melt the ghee in a large pot (with a lid) or Dutch oven, add the onion and cook over medium heat until really browned and crispy. Transfer the onion to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté cardamom and cinnamon. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick to the same pot and cook for 30 seconds.
- Sear lamb and add spices. Add the meat and fry sear for 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic. Fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt, ground coriander, chili powder, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom and stir.
- Incorporate yogurt. Add the yogurt and mix it all well. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add water and cook lamb. Pour in about 2 cups of boiling water, bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour until the lamb is tender. Make sure to stir occasionally to avoid the sauce from sticking to the bottom.
- Add the onions back. Crush the onions or chop them really small, add them back to the pot and stir them in well.
- Finish korma with coconut milk. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for another 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Serve. Serve with basmati rice and naan.
What Is Korma?
Korma has its roots in the Mughlai cuisine and it’s a popular curry in most Indian restaurants. The word korma or “qormã” actually means “braise” which refers to the cooking technique of this dish. So lamb korma, also known as mutton korma, is actually slowly braised lamb in yogurt, water and spices.
What’s The Difference Between Chili Powder And Kashmiri Chili Powder?
Regular chili powder is made from dried spicy red chilies though it comes in different spice levels. Kashmiri chili powder is actually much milder than regular chili powder because it’s made from very mild dried red chilies, but has a very bright and vibrant red color. It’s usually used in Indian cuisine to add a bright red color to food.
Is Lamb Korma Spicy?
No, it’s not. Lamb korma is actually a very mild Indian lamb curry that has lots of aromatic flavor. While it’s not spicy, there is a lot of flavor in this curry from all the different spices used. If you would like this curry to be spicy, go ahead and add some cayenne pepper to it, or use a spicy chili powder.
Lamb Korma In A Slow Cooker
This lamb korma recipe is easily adaptable to a slow cooker. To do so, simply follow the recipe until step 5 where you add the water, then simply transfer everything to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until the lamb is tender, then stir in the coconut milk and fried onion and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Lamb Korma In The Instant Pot
You can also easily make this lamb curry in your Instant Pot. Basically cook everything as instructed in the Instant Pot on the Sauté mode up until step 5 where you add the water. Lock the lid and set the IP to Manual on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Remove the lid, add the coconut milk and crispy fried onion and cook on Sauté mode for another 5 minutes.
Serve Lamb Korma With
Naan Recipe
Roti/Chapati (Indian Flat Bread)
Easy Tossed Salad
Cilantro Lime Rice
Expert Tips
- Prep ahead. If you’re short on time, you can easily prep this recipe the night before, simply get all your spices and meat ready, then the next day all you have to do is cook everything as instructed.
- The key to having a great tasting lamb korma is using fresh spices and fresh garlic and ginger.
- While the lamb is braising, keep stirring every 10 or 15 minutes to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Leftovers
You can store leftover lamb korma in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or you can store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat on the stovetop in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. I would also stir in a bit of coconut milk to restore its creaminess.
Other Delicious Lamb Recipes To Try
- Braised Lamb Shanks
- Greek Lamb Burgers
- Turkish Gozleme with Lamb
- Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
- Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
- Lamb Chops with Garlic Mint Sauce
- Roast Leg of Lamb
- Lamb Souvlaki
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Lamb Korma
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup ghee (or butter)
- 2 medium onion (sliced)
- 4 cardamom pods (green or black)
- 1 stick cinnamon (broken in half)
- 2 pounds lamb (leg or shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons ginger (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup coconut milk
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Fry the onion. Melt the ghee in a large pot (with a lid) or Dutch oven, add the onion and cook over medium heat until really browned and crispy. Transfer the onion to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté cardamom and cinnamon. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick to the same pot and cook for 30 seconds.
- Sear lamb and add spices. Add the meat and fry sear for 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic. Fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt, ground coriander, chili powder, kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom and stir.
- Incorporate yogurt. Add the yogurt and mix it all well. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add water and cook lamb. Pour in about 2 cups of boiling water, bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour until the lamb is tender. Make sure to stir occasionally to avoid the sauce from sticking to the bottom.
- Add the onions back. Crush the onions or chop them really small, add them back to the pot and stir them in well.
- Finish korma with coconut milk. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for another 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Serve. Serve with basmati rice and naan.
Equipment
Notes
- Prep ahead. If you’re short on time, you can easily prep this recipe the night before, simply get all your spices and meat ready, then the next day all you have to do is cook everything as instructed.
- The key to having a great tasting lamb korma is using fresh spices and fresh garlic and ginger.
- While the lamb is braising, keep stirring every 10 or 15 minutes to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- You can store leftover lamb korma in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or you can store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat on the stovetop in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. I would also stir in a bit of coconut milk to restore its creaminess.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Best homemade lamb korma, as good if not beter than what I had at my favourite Idian restaurant.
This sounds good. Is there a non-dairy sub for the yoghurt or can I just omit it? There are probably non-dairy yoghurts too.
I wouldn’t omit it and go with a non-dairy yogurt.
Do you use same amount of water in the instant pot as stovetop?
Yes, for sure.
So we love lamb and we love curry… but I have never tried to make curried lamb and I trust JoCooks recipes so I started with this one. I will say, the lamb was super tender and the onions are so good if you cook them to direction but my curry was like curry soup… the 2 cups of water did not cook off at all (if it’s supposed to)? Is it supposed to be that watery? My husband still loved it and ate 2 helpings but just wondering if you have any suggestions? Thank you
Yes, most of the liquid should cook off/evaporate in the hour that you cook the lamb. Not sure why it didn’t, water naturally evaporates when boiling as steam. Maybe try removing the lid in the last few minutes, that should help release some of the steam.