On the heat. Mild

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg boneless mutton
• 4 onions, sliced and deep-fried crisp
• 100 g cashews, soaked and blended
• 400 g yoghurt, whisked
• 5 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp ginger–garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 6 green cardamom, 1 cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1 mace blade
• 1 tsp white pepper · ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp rose water or kewra · salt

Method

1. Whole spices in the ghee until fragrant. Mutton in and sealed on all sides — but do not brown it dark. A korma is meant to be pale.
2. Ginger–garlic and coriander in, two minutes.
3. Off the heat, fold in the yoghurt a spoon at a time. Back on the lowest possible heat and stir until it is smooth and just steaming. Never let it boil.
4. Crush the fried onions with a little water into a paste and stir it in with the cashew paste. Lid on, lowest heat, 90 minutes.
5. White pepper, nutmeg and salt at the end. If it is too thick, loosen with milk, not water.
6. Rose water off the heat. Rest 10 minutes. Pilau or naan.

Cook's note. Never boil a yoghurt gravy. If it splits, take it off the heat and beat in a spoon of cold yoghurt whisked with a teaspoon of flour.

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