Mutton Korma Recipe
🥩 Ingredients You’ll Need (Serves 6-8 hungry humans)
Warning: Reading this list may cause sudden hunger and irrational trips to the kitchen.
For the Mutton:
- 1 kg mutton (bone-in, cleaned)
- 1 cup yogurt (whisked, like your emotions after watching a drama)
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1/2 cup oil or ghee (go wild – it’s korma, not a salad)
- 2 large onions (thinly sliced and fried till golden brown)
- Salt to taste (aka just enough to feel alive)
For the Masala:
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 6-8 black peppercorns
- 2-3 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder (or more if you enjoy living dangerously)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- A pinch of nutmeg and mace (for that royal flair)
🔥 Step-by-Step Recipe – With a Dash of Sass
Step 1: Marinate the Mutton (The Waiting Game Begins)
Mix yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili, turmeric, salt, and half of your fried onions with the mutton. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you’re feeling extra desi.
Funny Line: This is the part where you pretend you’re on a cooking show, even though your cat is your only audience.
Step 2: Toast Those Spices (Don’t Burn the Kitchen)
In a pan, dry roast cumin, coriander seeds, cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and bay leaf for a couple of minutes till fragrant. Then grind them into a fine powder.
Funny Line: If your neighbors knock, it’s probably because your house smells like a royal wedding feast. Accept the compliment.
Step 3: Oil Up (Ghee is the Real MVP)
Heat oil or ghee in a deep pot. Add the remaining fried onions and sauté for a minute. Toss in the marinated mutton and cook on high flame for 10-12 minutes until the color changes and the oil begins to separate.
Funny Line: If your face starts glowing from all the oil fumes, congratulations—you’ve unlocked the korma facial.
Step 4: Spice It Up (The Real Drama Begins)
Add your freshly ground masala powder to the pot. Stir like you’re mixing chaar logon ki opinions into one biryani—carefully but firmly. Cook on medium flame until the masala clings lovingly to the mutton like a desi auntie clings to your rishta news.
Funny Line: Warning: Stirring korma may cause sudden realizations about life, love, and laundry you forgot to do.
Step 5: Simmer Down (Let’s Get Cozy)
Add 1.5 to 2 cups of water to the pot, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for about 45-60 minutes or until the mutton is melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Funny Line: At this point, it smells so good even the neighbors who never say hi might “accidentally” drop by.
Step 6: Final Touches – The Drama Peaks
Once the oil rises to the top like the cream of the drama scene, add garam masala, a pinch of nutmeg, and crushed mace. Give it a gentle stir. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
Funny Line: The oil should float like your GPA after discovering online classes.
Step 7: Garnish and Serve (It’s Showtime!)
Top it off with fresh coriander and, if you’re feeling fancy, a few drops of kewra water. Serve hot with naan, paratha, or plain rice—whatever makes your taste buds sing.
Funny Line: Make sure to take a picture before everyone attacks it like they haven’t eaten since 2003.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- Naan or Roghni Naan: The fluffier, the better. Also doubles as a tear-absorbing napkin during emotional bites.
- Raita: Cool it down before you spice it up again.
- Simple Salad: Because we pretend to care about balance.
Funny Line: Pairing korma with naan is like Bollywood movies and slow-motion running—it just works.
🤔 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I use chicken instead of mutton?
Yes, but then it won’t be “mutton” korma, will it? Use chicken if you’re short on time—or if your family stages a mutiny every time they hear “goat.”
2. What if I don’t have all the whole spices?
You can use pre-made garam masala in a pinch. But remember: shortcuts in korma are like shortcuts in relationships—risky and rarely satisfying.
3. Can I cook this in a pressure cooker?
Absolutely. Just don’t overcook it, or you’ll be spreading mutton paste instead of enjoying tender meat. Two whistles and you’re good to go!
4. How do I make it less oily?
Reduce the ghee and pray for forgiveness from your ancestors. You can always skim the extra oil after cooking—if you can resist dipping naan in it first.
5. Is this freezer-friendly?
Yes! Mutton korma freezes beautifully and actually tastes better the next day. Just like gossip, it gets richer with time.
🎉 Conclusion – A Korma to Remember
Cooking Traditional Mutton Korma isn’t just about feeding your stomach—it’s about feeding your soul (and probably 6 others who “weren’t hungry” but somehow cleaned the pot). It’s a labor of love, spice, and timing. With crispy onions, creamy yogurt, and deep-roasted spices, it’s no wonder this dish has stood the test of time and in-laws.
Funny Line: If no one fights over the last piece, did you even make good korma?
So go ahead—tie that apron, summon your inner chef, and cook up a royal feast that’ll make your family say, “Beta, shaadi kab kar rahe ho?” (even if you’re already married).