1/4 cup unsalted cashews
3 each dried hot red chilies
2 each in piece of stick cinnamon
1 each 1 in cube fresh ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom seeds
3 each whole cloves
2 each large garlic cloves peeled
2 tbsp poppy seed (white)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp saffron threads
6 tbsp ghee (or melted butter)
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unflavored yoghurt
1 1/2 lb lamb cut into 2 cubes
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
Directions
To make the masala, combine the cashews, chilies,
ginger and the cold water and blend at high speed
for 1 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves,
garlic, poppy seeds, coriander seeds and cumin. Blend
again until the mixture is completely pulverized. Set
the masala aside. Place the saffron in a small bowl,
pour in boiling water and let soak for at least 10
minutes. In a heavy skillet heat the ghee over
moderate heat until a drop of water flicked into it
sputters instantly. Add the onions and, stirring
constantly, fry for 7 or 8 minutes, until soft and
golden brown. Stir in the salt and the masala,
then add the yoghurt.
Stirring occasionally, cook over moderate heat until
the ghee lightly films the surface. Add the lamb,
turning it about with a spoon to coat the pieces
evenly. Squeeze the saffron between your fingers, thin
stir it and its soaking liquid into the skillet.
Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 20
minutes, turning the lamb cubes over from time to
time. Scatter 1/2 of the fresh coriander over the
lamb and continue cooking, tightly covered for 10
minutes more, or until the lamb is tender. To serve,
transfer the entire contents of the skillet to a
heated platter, and sprinkle the top with lemon
juice and the remaining fresh coriander.
Servings: 4 servings
Korma (Lamb With Cashew-Nut Curry) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Indian; Lamb; Meat; Nut
The History of Recipes
Academics have proved the existance of recipes way back into the distant past, in fact as far back into history as early Egypt, and maybe even further. Interesting though that maybe, mostly, these early cook books were just basic hieroglyphic recipes for preparing meals.
Fascinatingly, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to food historians is a series of ancient tablets in ancient Sumerian which describe the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel exhilarated and blissful. During the time of the Roman Empire a man called Apicius assembled a collection of scripts showing how to cook the recipes enjoyed by the Romans. In his scrolls, he tells us how the meals were split into starters, main course and afters, something we still use today. This early Roman chef recounts how the Roman cooks made use of many spices and herbs, including some familiar names like thyme, mint and asafoetida. Over the following few hundred years, the powerful families of the West strove to serve up the most exotic meals, and because of this chefs and their recipe collections could command a high salary. Even so, it was during the nineteenth century that formal cookery and recipe books reached a high level of popularity. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated years of their lives to collecting, testing, and writing down recipes that were common in the better off homes of the day. By the arrival of the 20th century, recipe books are greatly in demand mostly as a result of higher levels of literacy, increased leisure time and having more money to spend. The introduction of television brought us TV chefs and the recipe books that accompanied them. Which brings us neatly up to date and the internet revolution, permitting everyone to search through thousands of recipes like the ones you can find on this site. |
We hope you enjoy this Korma (Lamb With Cashew Nut Curry) recipe.
