Mutton Korma (Goat Korma)

Make the best Mutton Korma aka Goat Korma with this authentic recipe. This simple crowd-pleasing dish has tender & succulent pieces of mutton simmered in an amazingly delicious and super flavorful gravy. Serve this incredibly tasty Goat Korma with flatbreads like sheermal, Tandoori Roti, garlic butter Naan or any other flatbreads.

It also goes well over fluffy Basmati Rice, Saffron Rice or other flavored rice variations. For a luxurious feast, extend your menu to a Cucumber Raita, Biryani & Halwa.

About Mutton (Goat) Korma

Korma is a popular Mughlai dish, from the Indian Sub-continent where meat is slow cooked with spices, fried onions, yogurt, nut or seed paste. It is believed the dish was cooked in the royal kitchens of the Mughals and till date it is enjoyed in the home kitchens as a celebratory dish.

The word “korma” is derived from the Urdu word “qorma” meaning “braise”. So a traditional korma has the meat braised in yogurt and spices, to which coarsely ground fried onions are added. Some versions also have nuts, either garnished or ground to a paste and cooked in the korma.

However Korma is not the same as Kurma, in which coconut milk or paste is used. This kind of a dish is popular in the South Indian regional cuisines.

In this post I share the easiest and the most delicious recipe to make the traditional and authentic North Indian Mutton Korma. This version produces a rich & luxurious sauce that is super aromatic. I also share the tips and tricks to transform the basic version to a Shahi Mutton Korma, which is an indulgent dish, fit for celebrations.

Unlike the Shahi Korma, the basic version does not use any cream or nuts and much of the creamy texture comes from the use of yogurt and high quality tender bone-in-meat, which releases some of the marrow goodness to the gravy.

Best Cut for Mutton Korma

In Indian cuisine, the term Mutton mostly refers to goat meat and lamb is rarely used. In India, restaurants chefs and home cooks too use goat rather than lamb because goat meat is considered more tender and flavorsome than lamb.

However most Indian restaurants outside India, use lamb unless mentioned or requested. Those versions are westernized and mostly use coconut milk. However here in this authentic recipe, you may use either goat or lamb to make the mutton korma.

But I highly recommend using bone-in meat for a rich flavor. Boneless works but the bones release all the goodness from the marrow, making the sauce tastier. If you are using boneless, consider using a few bones (easily available from the butcher store), which you will discard at the end. Alternately use some yakhni, broth to cook your korma. Though not traditional this improves the flavor.

Use the right cut of mutton/ goat in this recipe. Cut-up portions of 1 to 2 inch from the shoulder, leg of lamb/goat or rump are some of the best cuts. Using larger pieces of meat will just increase your cook time.

Ingredients

• Spices: Whole spices like green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper are crucial to an authentic korma. They infuse the flavors slowly as your mutton slow cooks. If you don’t prefer them whole, feel free to substitute with ground spices. Ground nutmeg and mace are the key flavor enhancers, so don’t omit them.
• Fried Onions: Deep fried onions known as birista are the star of a korma. You may use store bought or homemade fried onions. For a healthier option you may also saute the onions instead of deep frying. I show both ways – making fried onions & sauteed onions in the stepwise photos.
• Ghee imparts an authentic and traditional flavor. But if you want you may use any neutral oil to fry the onions and ghee to make the korma.
• Plain full fat Yogurt: Avoid using very sour yogurt as it can make your sauce too tart. Low fat yogurt is not good for this recipe as there is a high chance of splitting. If using Greek yogurt, use 3/4 cup else use 1 cup homemade. Avoid using very runny yogurt as the chances of splitting would be high.
• Ginger and garlic infuse aromatic flavors. I prefer to use ginger garlic paste. If you don’t have it, you may use grated ginger and garlic.
• Green chili is used for heat and mild flavor. You may omit it or use Indian/ Thai chili or serrano peppers. I prefer to use it in slit form, so it is easier to discard before serving. If you are confident about the heat level of your chilies, you may chop them fine so they blend well with the sauce.

More Mutton Recipes
Goat Curry
Mutton Curry
Mutton Biryani
Mutton Karahi
Nihari Recipe
Mutton Fry/Sukka

Photo Guide

How to make Mutton Korma (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Use a heavy bottom steel pot or a Dutch oven for this recipe. (Avoid using a non-stick or a thin bottom pot). Add

• 500 grams (1.1 lb) mutton (bone-in or boneless, can use up to 600 grams)
• 2 inch cinnamon piece
• 6 green cardamoms
• 2 small black cardamoms (or 1 large)
• 4 to 6 cloves

2. Add the following ground spices:

• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to heat preference)
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon ginger & garlic paste (or ¾ tablespoon each grated)
• ½ teaspoon pepper (crushed or freshly cracked)

3. Add 1 cup full fat regular plain yogurt. If you are using Greek yogurt, cut down to ¾ cup. Then throw in a slit green chili if you want. For high heat levels, chop it.

4. Mix well to marinate. Cover and keep aside until your onions are ready. (If you want you may rest in the refrigerator overnight. This cuts down the cook time and tenderizes the meat. But bring it close to room temperature by placing the meat marinade on the kitchen counter for 1½ hours, before cooking.)

Make golden onions

You can also make this a day ahead if you want. Alternately you may use about 1 cup (75 grams) pre-fried store bought onions. Please do not use store bought fried onions made in Vanaspati/ dalda or palm oil because that alters the flavor of your korma.

5. Meanwhile wash 2 to 3 medium sized onions. Slice them evenly, (not too thick or too thin) to make 2 cups (weighing 240 grams). Separate the layers of onions. You may shallow fry or deep fry the onions to your convenience. I show you both the ways here for easy understanding. Choose one of the options.

5A. Option 1. To Shallow fry – On a medium flame, heat ¼ cup ghee or oil in a heavy bottom wide pan (wider, the better). Spread the onions as shown in the picture and let them fry uniformly until golden but not burnt. Takes me about 7 mins.

Keep stirring in between as you fry. When they become light golden, turn down the heat to low and fry for another 4 to 5 mins. Do not burn. Note that burnt or over fried onions will taste bitter.

This is the right stage at which they need to be taken out from the ghee.

5B. Option 2. Deep fry – Heat ½ to ¾ cup neutral oil on a medium flame. While the oil heats, spread the onion on the tray and add 1 teaspoon corn starch to a small strainer. Shake the corn starch all over the onions. With dry fingers coat evenly. it’s alright if there are small lumps. When the oil is hot, add 1/3 of them to the hot oil. Fry on a medium heat, until uniformly golden & crisp, but not brown.

Remove them to a steel colander. Fry the rest of the onions in batches and let them cool.

6. Transfer the golden onions to a small grinder.

7. Pulse them several times to make a coarse powder as shown in the picture. If you shallow fried them, add a few tablespoons of water or yogurt and grind to a coarse paste.

Make Goat Korma

Make sure your meat marinade is at room temperature before you begin to cook else the meat can turn hard or your yogurt can split.

8. Add 3 tablespoons ghee to the marinade. If you shallow fried the onions, use the same ghee and top up a bit more to make it 3 tbsps. If you deep fried, use fresh ghee (don’t use oil).

9. Begin to saute/braise the mutton on a medium heat, for at least 12 to 15 mins.

10. The marinade turns runny as the yogurt and mutton lets out water. Cook covered on a medium heat for at least 30 mins. After 30 mins you will see the ghee getting separated, add the crushed onions and pour ¾ to 1 cup hot water.

Slow cook mutton korma

11. Cover and cook on a low heat, until the mutton turns soft and fully cooked. Keep stirring in between to prevent the fried onions from burning at the bottom. Add more hot water as required while it cooks. It takes me another 1 hour, 15 mins (total time is 2 hours – 12 to 15 mins to braise + 30 mins to simmer + 75 mins slow cooking).

12. We prefer our mutton very tender & should fall off the bone. The timings mentioned above are accordingly to produces soft, juicy and succulent meat. You may adjust the cook time to your preference.

13. When the mutton korma is cooked well, you will see a layer of oil/ghee on top. Turn off. Add ⅛ teaspoon ground mace (javithri). I didn’t have ground mace so used a strand, which I discarded later.

14. Also add

• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder (or grate the whole nutmeg to get powder)
• ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder (ground cardamom)

15. Add in ¼ to 1 teaspoon kewra water (optional). Start with lower amount and adjust to preference. Taste test and adjust salt to preference.

16. The consistency of the korma is thick. If you want you may add 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream.

Mutton korma tastes best after resting it for at least an hour.

Transform to a Shahi Goat Korma

• To transform basic korma to a shahi korma, soak 12 almonds or cashews in ¼ cup boiling water. Almonds will need a overnight soak and cashews need 10 to 15 mins. Grind them with ¼ cup milk or heavy cream or water to a smooth puree. You may add more liquid to get your blender running. Add this during the last 10 mins of cooking.
• Heat 1½ tablespoon ghee in a small pan and add 2 tablespoons sliced or silvered almonds or 10 blanched almonds. Fry them on a medium heat until light golden. Turn off the stove and pour this on the Mutton korma. Garnish with extra fried onions.

Expert Tips

• Always cook the mutton korma on a low heat because that release all the goodness from the marrow.
• Add the ground onions when the mutton is almost cooked. This retains the aroma and texture of the onions. Avoid adding it too early else you will lose the fried onion flavor.
• Do not make a smooth paste, grind them to a coarse powder or paste. You want a unique texture in the korma sauce.
• Always marinate the mutton as this process helps to tenderize and enhance the flavor of the meat. The longer it rests the more succulent & tender it turns out. You can also marinate the previous night & refrigerate. Ensure it comes to room temperature before you begin to cook.
• Fried onions is the star of any korma recipe, so prefer making them at home. You can also make it ahead and refrigerate in a glass jar. Avoid store bought fried onions fried in vanaspathi or vegetable margarine as it ruins the entire dish.

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