Lamb Korma

Lamb neck marinated in yoghurt and ginger-garlic, then braised with browned onion and a paste of fennel, white poppy seed and warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom). The slow cooking turns the gravy silky and the meat fork-tender. A Mughlai-style korma, mild on chilli, deep on aroma.

Korma is the foundational Mughal-era curry, born in the imperial kitchens of Delhi and Agra in the sixteenth century. The defining feature is the gentle, dairy-thickened gravy (yoghurt, cream, ground nuts) and the absence of harsh chilli heat; the Mughal kitchens favoured aromatic complexity over fire. The Persian-Turkic culinary heritage of the Mughal empire shows in every ingredient.

Lamb neck is the underused cut that suits this dish exactly. Cheaper than shoulder, richer than leg, with enough connective tissue to give the gravy body over the slow cook. The fillet (boneless neck) cooks faster and gives a more refined plate; the bone-in version adds more depth at the cost of a longer cook.

White poppy seeds (khus khus, the Indian variety) are the structural thickener and the secret ingredient. Soaked and ground into a paste, they add a creamy body and a faint nutty note that distinguishes a Mughlai korma from a Punjabi one. Substitute cashew paste at a pinch. Fennel seed adds an aromatic licorice note that suits the lamb; black and green cardamom together provide the warm-spice backbone. Serve with naan or basmati, fresh coriander, a wedge of lime.