Lachlan Cox

Lamb Korma

Lamb shoulder, cashew cream, whole spices, yogurt.

Prep
40-50 min
Cook
3-3.5 hr
Serves
4-5

Ingredients

Lamb

  • 800 g lamb shoulder roast
  • salt

Base paste

  • 2 large onions
  • 6-8 cloves garlic
  • 4 cm ginger

Cashew cream

  • 1/4 cup cashews
  • 1/3-1/2 cup water

Sauce

  • 3-4 Tbsp ghee
  • 2 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • pinch cayenne
  • 500 ml chicken stock (or water + salt)
  • 6-10 cardamom pods, lightly crushed, in spice bag
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3-4 tsp sugar
  • ~1 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
  • 1/4 cup thickened cream
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt

Preparation

  1. Lamb

    Trim excess hard fat and cut the shoulder into 4-5 cm chunks. Salt lightly and rest for 20 minutes, or up to several hours in the fridge, uncovered.

  2. Cashew cream

    Soak the cashews in boiling water for 15-20 minutes, then blend until completely smooth and strain through a fine sieve.

  3. Base paste

    Blend the onion, garlic and ginger into a smooth paste.

  4. Spice bag

    Lightly crush the cardamom pods, wrap in cheesecloth and tie securely.

Method

  1. Sear the lamb

    Heat 1-1.5 Tbsp ghee in a heavy pot and sear the lamb in batches until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.

  2. Deglaze

    Add a small splash of water or stock and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

  3. Temper whole spices

    Add the cinnamon stick to the pot and fry briefly in the remaining ghee.

  4. Cook onion base

    Add the onion paste and cook on medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until thick and reduced with no raw onion smell and slight fat separation visible.

  5. Bloom spices

    Add the garam masala, turmeric, paprika and cayenne, and cook for 30-60 seconds until aromatic.

  6. Build braise

    Return the lamb to the pot, add the stock and the spice bag, then bring to a gentle simmer.

  7. Phase 1 - Oven braise

    Cover with a lid and cook at 140 C for 2-2.5 hours.

  8. Phase 2 - Stovetop finish

    Transfer to the stovetop, stir in the cashew cream, and simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 20-40 minutes until the sauce thickens, becomes glossy, and coats the lamb.

  9. Remove spice bag

    Remove and discard the spice bag, optionally pressing it gently to extract any remaining flavour.

  10. Final finish

    Lower the heat, stir in the cream and yogurt, then add the sugar and salt. Simmer gently but do not boil.

  11. Adjust

    Add a small squeeze of lemon if needed. Optionally stir in 1/2 tsp ghee.

  12. Rest

    Let the korma rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Rice (Rice Cooker Basmati)

  1. Rinse and soak

    Rinse the basmati rice until the water is mostly clear, then soak for 15-20 minutes and drain.

  2. Cook

    Add the rice, water (1:1.25-1.35 ratio), salt and 1-2 tsp ghee to the rice cooker, then cook.

  3. Rest and fluff

    Rest for 10 minutes with the lid closed, then fluff gently.

Raita

  1. Whisk yogurt

    Whisk 1 cup of Greek yogurt until completely smooth.

  2. Prepare cucumber

    Peel and deseed 1/2 cucumber, finely chop or lightly blend, then squeeze out excess moisture.

  3. Combine

    Mix the cucumber into the yogurt, then add salt, 1/2 tsp ground cumin and a small squeeze of lemon. Chill for 20-30 minutes.

Naan (Finishing)

Heat the naan in a hot pan or oven and brush with ghee immediately after heating. Optionally add garlic and coriander.

Wine Pairing

Riesling (Clare Valley or Eden Valley preferred), Pinot Noir (Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, or Central Otago), or Chardonnay (Yarra Valley or Margaret River, avoiding heavily oaked styles) all work well. Choose wines with good acidity to balance the richness - a slightly off-dry Riesling works particularly well. Avoid heavy tannic reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz; light to medium-bodied wines are preferred.