Korma
Template:Distinguish Template:Short description Template:Use Indian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox food Korma, kurma, qorma or qurma (Template:Langx; Template:Langx; Template:Langx; Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is a curry dish originating in the Indian subcontinent influenced by Mughlai cuisine, versions of which later were modified to Anglo-Indian and then to British tastes. It consists of meat or vegetables braised with yogurt, water or stock, and spices to produce a thick sauce or gravy.<ref name=singhp24/>
Etymology
The English name is an anglicisation of the Hindi-Urdu qormā (क़ोरमा, قورمہ), meaning "braise".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=perry254>Perry, C. "Korma, Kavurma, Ghormeh: A family, or not so much?" in Hosking (ed.) Food and Language: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cooking 2009, p. 254</ref> It refers to the cooking technique used in the dish.<ref name="singhp24">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=mw>"korma", Merriam-Webster, accessed 30-01-18</ref> All these words, and the names of dishes such as the Iranian ghormeh (Template:Langx), Turkish Kavurma and the Azerbaijani qovurma or kavarma, are ultimately derived from a Turkic word qawirma, meaning "[a] fried thing".<ref name=perry254/> The Indian korma is, however, possibly unrelated in a culinary sense to the modern Turkish kavurma or to some other dishes using the same root word, as they use widely varying techniques and ingredients.<ref name=perry256>Perry (2009), p. 256</ref>
History
Korma has its roots in the Mughlai cuisine<ref name=times2773345>Template:Cite news</ref> of the Indian subcontinent. A characteristic Mughal dish, it can be traced back to the 16th century and to the Mughal expansion into South Asia. Kormas were often prepared in the Mughal court kitchens, such as the famous white korma, perhaps garnished with vark, which was said to have been served to Shah Jahan and his guests at the inauguration of the Taj Mahal.<ref name=chapman26>Chapman, Pat. India: Food and Cooking, New Holland, 2009, p. 26</ref>
Indian cooks in the 19th century prepared curries for their British masters simplified and adjusted to Anglo-Indian taste. A quarama from Lucknow contained (among other ingredients) ghee, yoghurt, cream, crushed almonds, cloves, cardamom, and saffron; whereas an 1869 Anglo-Indian quorema or korma, "different in substance as well as name",<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> had no cream, almonds, or saffron, but it added the then-standard British curry spices, namely coriander, ginger, and black peppercorns.<ref name="Collingham 2006">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Preparation
.JPG){kind=link}
_Korma.jpg){kind=link}
The korma style is similar to other braising techniques in that the meat or vegetable is first cooked briskly, or seared, using high heat, traditionally with ghee, and then subjected to long, slow cooking using moist heat and a minimum of added liquid.<ref name=singhp24/> The pot may be sealed with dough during the last stages of cooking, using a technique called dum or dampokhtak. Korma is made using a technique called bagar. in the later stage of cooking, additional spices are mixed with heated ghee and then combined with the sauce formed by the braising. The pan is then covered and shaken to release steam and mix the contents.<ref name="singhp24"/>
There is a wide variation between individual korma and other curry recipes. Chilli and ginger are often used, but the precise method of preparation results in widely different flavours. Indian bay leaves or dried coconut may be added, the latter being a predominantly South Indian flavouring.
Variations
In the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, a typical korma as served in curry houses is a mildly spiced dish with a thick sauce. It often features almonds, cashews or other nuts, and coconut or coconut milk. In the 21st century, chicken korma has several times been cited as the most popular curry in the UK, replacing chicken tikka masala in surveys of public eating habits.<ref name=telegraph>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref name=dmirror>"Chicken tikka masala no longer Britain's favourite curry – here's the new titleholder", Daily Mirror, 7 October 2017</ref>
Navratan korma
.JPG){kind=link}
Navratan korma is a vegetarian korma made with vegetables and either paneer (an Indian cheese) or nuts – or sometimes both. Navratan means "nine gems", and it is common for the recipe to include nine different vegetables.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Malaysia
In Malaysia, korma or 'gulai kurma' is traditionally cooked with coconut milk instead of yoghurt among the Malays, as dairy products do not feature heavily in Malay cuisine. Meats used for kurma include chicken, mutton, beef, and deer. It also often contains more vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes, though this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Some recipes include tamarind as the souring agent, in place of the natural acidity of yoghurt.<ref>Resepi Ayam Masak Kurma Che Nom. Retrieved 3 April 2024</ref>
References
Template:Curry in the United Kingdom Template:Indian Dishes Template:Pakistani dishes