Shahi Lamb Qorma

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Shahi Lamb Qorma. Many dishes in the subcontinent are century old and were inspired buy cuisines from other counties. This Qorma owes it's ancestral inspiration to Persian food. It was a recipe cooked often in the Palaces of Mughal Kings. Shahi literally means Royal and with its rich creaminess and hearty flavours, this Mughlahi dish is definitely is a dish fit for a King!!

 

Shahi Lamb Qorma

What your beautiful selves will need:

Ingredients

2lbs boneless lamb
3 medium onions sliced
10 cloves of garlic
2 inch piece of ginger
8 green chilies
5 tbsn of slithered almonds
2 tbsn of pine nuts
1 tbsn of white poppy seeds.
2 cups of double cream
10 Cardamoms
6-7 cloves
2 inch piece Cinnamon stick
3 tspn of Ground Black cumin seeds (Shahi zeera)
2 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn garam masala
2 tspn of green chilies
Pinch of saffron
half cup of pine nuts
7 tbsn of ghee or sunflower oil
2 Cups of chopped Coriander

Method

1. Put garlic and ginger into blender and add half cup of water, grind to a paste.
2. Next add into this paste the almonds, pine nuts and poppy seeds blend again to a paste, add a little more water to loosen up if needed.

Slithered Almonds, White Poppy Seeds and Pine Nuts.

3. In a heavy pan add 4 tbspn of ghee or oil and brown meat in batches. ( Do not add meat all at once or it will stew rather than brown) Once nicely browned remove and set aside.

4. In same pan add remaining ghee or oil and cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon, saute until they release an aroma, when this happens add the onions and cook till they are dark golden brown in colour.

Camera didn't pick up colour too well but onions were actually darker than this.

5. Now pour in the garlic, ginger and nut paste and mix well, cook for about 3 minutes and then add your spices and salt. Mix well.
6. When sauce is well combined and slightly dried add the browned meat and cook well so that all the meat is coated in the sauce. Turn heat down low and allow to cook for a few minutes.

7. Meanwhile in a pot add the double cream and heat up, then add the saffron and let it infuse for a few mins.

8. Pour the cream into the meat and mix well for about 3-5 minutes.

9. Now add a cup of warm water and combine, cover and leave to cook on low heat for about 30-40 minutes or until meat is cooked. Keep checking and stirring every 5-10 minutes as creamy sauces burn easily. You will see by the end the fat will separate from the sauce. You may if you wish discard this, but I would recommend you leave it as it adds to the flavour of Qorma.

You can see fat separate from the sauce in above photo.

10. Qorma should be a thick creamy texture but if you wish for it to have more sauce then simply add water and cook to desired consistency. Add Coriander.

Serve with Chapatis or Basmati rice

Bil-hana wa ash shifa'a!