Korma is a creamy meat stew (although it could also be made in a vegetarian version) with a mild flavor, made with saffron, yogurt, and various spices such as coriander, ginger, cumin seeds, chiles, and turmeric. It is believed that it originated in the royal kitchen of Akbar during the mid-1500s as a fusion of Persian and Indian cuisine.
The dish got its name after one of the tribes of the Rajputs, a warrior clan of western India. It is recommended to serve kormas with flatbreads such as
chapati,
paratha, or
naan. There are three main bases of korma:
North Indian korma with almonds, cashews and yogurt (there are two subgroups of this korma:
Mughalai (with reduced milk) and
Shahi (with cream)),
korma Kashmir with almonds, cashews, yogurt, milk, and dried fruits, and
South Indian korma with coconut, coconut milk, almonds, cayenne peppers, and fennel seeds.