Almond Lamb Korma

I am going through the last leg of working days for this year. And next week I am off for my long awaited annual vacations to my home country only to be back in late January. So I have decided to put in as many posts this week and reduce the number of recipes waiting in my drafts.
 
By the time I return next year, these attempts would be history and I am afraid that I would not be able to post them effectively. So enjoy them and make time to try each one of them in the holiday season.
 
This is a recipe that has such a long list of ingredients that scare you to the core. But once started, it is a breezy affair. Recipes that require you to puree or grind have their cooking procedures very easy. And almonds give it such a grand tag that you will love to hold on to it in every bite. A healthy lamb dish that injects crunchy flavor and it is rich in every way.

 
INGREDIENTS:

For the lamb:

3 thinly sliced onions

1 cup almond paste

5 tsp ghee/clarified butter

2 cinnamon sticks

6-7 green cardamom

3-4 cloves

1 piece mace

2-3 bay leaves

3 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1 Kg lamb

Salt

Rose water infused with 4-5 strands of saffron

1 tsp yellow chilli powder

For the cream:

1 cup yogurt

1 tsp yellow chilli powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp coriander seed powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Garam masala:

1/4 tsp clove powder

1/2 tsp green cardamom powder

1/2 tsp rose petal powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

1/4 tsp black cardamom powder

1/2 tsp fennel powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp mace powder

For the paste:

2 thinly sliced onions

1 cup cream/malai


HOW TO MAKE:

1) For the cream, take the yogurt and yellow chilli powder, black pepper powder, coriander seeds powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and mix well.

2) For the garam masala, take a bowl and mix the clove powder, green cardamom powder, rose petal powder, nutmeg powder, black cardamom powder, fennel powder, cinnamon powder, mace together.

3) For the paste, fry the sliced onions till they brown. Strain the onions, mix the cream and blend to a fine paste.

4) Heat ghee in a pot and add cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, mace, bay leaves. Roast these spices and add the ginger paste and garlic paste.

5) When the paste browns, add the sliced onions and 1 tsp ghee. Wait till the onions are a pale pink and the lamb, salt (to taste) and roast.

6) Once the lamb has seared, add the yogurt cream and almond paste. Pour water into the pot and let it simmer to cook in its own heat.

7) When it is almost done, add the garam masala and rose water infused with saffron to the lamb.

8) Take the lamb off the heat and transfer the individual pieces to a lagan. Sprinkle 1 tsp yellow chilli powder, add the onion paste and strain the gravy on top of the lamb.

9) Cover with a foil and put on low heat to cook. Serve hot with bread/Naan/ steamed Rice.