Lamb Korma

The winter weather has arrived with full force this year and the temperatures have been the coldest I can remember  in years.
One tends to think of  hearty dishes to warm you up. Casseroles, stews, braises, curries and roasts come to mind. My go to dish for winter is a Lamb Korma easy for me because I have been making it forever. The heat is determined by you, so it is a great dish for all the family. A little bit of India.
Yes you can buy a jar of curry paste at the supermarket but the ingredients are all readily available and the taste is far superior if made from scratch. Once you have the spices you can churn it out as a regular winter meal.
Better made the day before, easily transportable and adaptable for the freezer. Serve it with a delicious chutney, yoghurt and poppadoms.
You can buy lamb already diced, but I buy small half legs and cut them myself into cubes.

approx 11/2 kilos lamb diced
2 medium onions
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon freshly chopped ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
raw almonds or cashews approx 1/2 cup
6 red chillies deseeded ( if you wish it be be not as hot add 2 at this point )
1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder ( again omit if you want it milder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 teaspoons salt
1 cup yoghurt
3 tablespoons oil
handful of chopped coriander leaves

Cut the lamb into cubes removing all the fat.
Place the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and nuts into the food processor. Blend and then add half a cup of water and blend again. Add all the spices. This is your curry paste and should be as smooth as possible
Heat the oil in a large pot and add the blender contents. Cook until aromatic a couple of minutes and the oil is separating. Add another  1/2 cup of water to the blender and wash out the remainder of the paste and add the water to the pot. Cook a little longer.
Add the lamb slowly, a bit at a time until the meat is coated with the spice mixture and fry until it changes colour.
Add the salt and yoghurt and mix in evenly. Cover  and turn down simmering for 1 hour or until lamb is cooked.
Stir through fresh coriander in the last 5 minutes saving some for a garnish. Serve with rice and all the condiments.