Deliciously creamy pressure cooker lamb korma. Easy to make and mild enough for the whole family to enjoy. See variations for how to cook in the slow cooker or stovetop.
Recipe in collaboration with ‘Lamb – Try It Love It’ for National Curry Week.
Regular readers will know that I love cooking with lamb – this Greek lamb kleftiko remains one of my most popular recipes. There’s so many different cuts and so many ways to cook with lamb – it is endlessly versatile, affordable and healthy.
And since sustainability is such a important buzzword right now, it is important to note thatI European lamb is not only a premium and high-quality meat. It is also produced at farms in remote regions, which operate using sustainable practices.
A lot of people can’t look past the celebratory leg of lamb, served once or twice a year. The EU-funded Lamb Try it, Love it campaign aims to introduce a new generation of cooks to the convenience and unique flavours of lamb.
This delicious lamb korma pairs the natural sweetness of the lamb with an aromatic creamy sauce that will have you coming back for seconds. Speedy enough to prepare as weekday meal in a pressure cooker or cooked slowly in a crockpot or the stove.
What is ‘korma’
Korma (or qorma) refers to a fragrant Indian dish in which meat, usually lamb or chicken, is gently cooked with spices and some form of dairy.
Some korma recipes contain yoghurt, others cream and some a combination of the two. Coconut milk is also used in some versions instead of dairy.
A lot of korma recipes also contain nuts – usually almonds or cashew nuts. These are often made into a paste and used to thicken the sauce. I opted to garnish the korma with cashews instead.
Korma is very popular in the UK and British-style kormas are more of a celebration of curry rather than being derived from a single regional cuisine. I think a lamb korma was the first curry I ever tried when I moved to the UK. That’s not surprising – a korma is probably the first taste of Indian food for many.
In fact, this delicious lamb stew it is considered a ‘starter curry’ as the gently spiced creamy sauce is mellow enough for curry virgins!
Lamb korma ingredients
Google ‘lamb korma’ and you will come across several recipes. The ingredients tend to vary from region to region, but some things remain constant. The list below is what I used
- Diced lamb – boned lamb shoulder preferably, trimmed of excess fat
- Onions and garlic
- Freshly grated ginger
- Lots of spices including cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, mild chilli powder and mace – see shortcuts below
- Fresh tomatoes (tomato paste or tinned tomatoes can also be used)
- Butternut squash – not traditional, but it worked well to thicken the sauce
- Vegetable stock – I used organic bouillon powder
- Double cream (replace with natural yoghurt or thick coconut cream)
- Coriander (cilantro)
- A little cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken the sauce – this is only used in the pressure cooker version
- Chopped cashew nuts (or you can use almonds)
Lamb korma shortcuts
‘But what if I don’t have all these spices’ I hear you ask. You could replace the spices with a good-quality korma paste. Check the packaging for how much paste to use – some already contain coconut milk.
Alternatively you could use mild curry powder or, preferably, garam masala which is made of a combination of spices. It won’t be as potent as using the spices individually though.
How to serve lamb korma
I like serving my korma with golden rice, naan bread (check this easy naan recipe by Veggie Desserts), Greek yoghurt and mango chutney.
How to make lamb korma in a pressure cooker
Step 1. Heat some olive or coconut oil (ghee would be even more authentic) in your Instant Pot using the Sauté function.
Step 2. Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, for a couple of minutes.
Step 3. Add the spices and stir for a couple of minutes until their lovely fragrance is released.
Step 4. Add the garlic and ginger and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes then stir in the diced lamb.
Step 5. Add the tomatoes, butternut squash and stock. Set vent to sealing and cook for 20 minutes at high pressure. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release then release remaining steam manually.
Step 6. Select the Sauté function and add the cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until sauce thickens.
Step 7. Stir in the cream and heat through. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Stir in some chopped coriander.
Step 8. Serve with chopped cashew nuts over basmati rice with some naan bread to mop up the creamy sauce.
How to make lamb korma on the stovetop
Step 1. Heat the oil (or ghee) in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add the onions and cook for 20 minutes until soft and golden brown.
Step 2. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes.
Step 3. Stir in the lamb and stir to coat in the spices. Add the tomatoes, squash and stock. Bring to a rolling simmer.
Step 4. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 1- 1 1/2 hours, topping up with a little water if needed. By then of the cooking time the lamb should be falling apart and very tender. You probably won’t need to add the cornstarch – the sauce should be thick enough.
Step 5. Stir in the cream and heat through. Check the seasoning and garnish with coriander.
How to make lamb korma in a slow cooker
This recipe is also suitable to make in a crockpot. Follow steps 1 to 5 but add everything into the slow cooker instead of the Instant Pot. Cook for 5-6 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high, stirring the cream in during the last 20 minutes.
Have you made my lamb korma?
Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
More Indian recipes to try
- Leftover turkey Korma with golden rice
- Pressure Cooker Lamb Dhansak curry
- Spicy Lamb Keema Pizza
- Slow Cooker Lamb Shank Rogan Josh
Find out more at trylamb.co.uk and @TryLamb on Facebook and Instagram.
Pressure cooker lamb korma
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp oil or ghee
- 2 large onions very finely diced
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 3.3 lbs 1.5kg diced lamb shoulder
- 5 cardamom pods seeds only
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground mace
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp paprika or mild chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cinnamon stick or 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 vine tomatoes chopped
- 1 1/2 cups | 300g diced butternut squash
- 1 cup | 250ml vegetable stock from bouillon powder
- 1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot diluted in cold water
- 1/3 cup | 80ml double (heavy) cream
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
To serve
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes optional
Instructions
To make in a pressure cooker
- Crush the cardamom seeds in a pestle and mortar or lightly crush the pods and use whole (remember to remove before serving).
- Heat the oil in your Instant Pot using the Sauté function.
- Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, for a couple of minutes.
- Tip in all the spices and stir until their lovely fragrance is released.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir to combine.
- Stir in the lamb, tomatoes, butternut squash and stock. Set vent to sealing and cook for 20 minutes at high pressure. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release then release remaining steam manually.
- Select the Sauté function and add the cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Stir in the cream and heat through. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Stir in some chopped coriander.
- Serve with chopped cashew nuts, dried chilli flakes, basmati rice with some naan bread to mop up the creamy sauce.
To make on the stovetop
- Heat the oil (or ghee) in a large Dutch oven over low heat.
- Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft and golden brown.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the lamb and stir to coat in the spices. Add the tomatoes, squash and stock. Bring to a rolling simmer.
- Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 1- 1 1/2 hours, topping up with a little water if needed. By the end of the cooking time the lamb should be falling apart and very tender and you can probably skip the cornflour.
- Stir in the cream and heat through. Check the seasoning and garnish with coriander, dried chilli flakes and chopped cashews.
To make in a slow cooker
- This recipe is also suitable to make in a crockpot. Follow steps 1 to 5 but add everything into the slow cooker instead of the Instant Pot. Cook for 5-6 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
- By the end of the cooking time the lamb should be falling apart and very tender and you can probably skip the cornflour.
- Stir in the cream and heat through. Check the seasoning and garnish with coriander, dried chilli flakes and chopped cashews.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Info
Mandy says
You’re so right about it being a starter curry – I remember going out for family curries as a child and me and my brother graduating from chicken and chips to chicken korma! This looks absolutely stunning.
Lucy Parissi says
It’s so true – my kids won’t touch other curries but they happily scoff this
kellie@foodtoglow says
This looks incredible, Lucy. And so easy, even for the working week. The whole post is so well written and I love that you have given instructions for slow cooker and stovetop too. Always thinking of the needs of your fans 🙂
Sara | Belly Rumbles says
This is a flavour sensation. I can only imagine how gorgeously tender that lamb is, what a great dish!
Lucy says
This looks so delicious it might be what I need to try out my IP for the first time!!
Sisley White says
This looks absolutely incredible! Perfect for warming in this colder weather.