This Jamie Oliver-inspired Lamb Korma is creamy, rich, and super aromatic. With toasted spices and loads of fresh herbs, the boneless lamb leg meat is melt-in-the-mouth tender. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make this lamb stew. If you love food, wine, and dinner with friends and family, this easy Lamb Korma recipe is perfect for a smaller gathering!

Koram Lamb Stew in a big Dutch oven pot
Creamy, rich, super aromatic and surprisingly easy to make!

The original recipe was published in 2016. The update includes new photos and recipe writings to make the instructions more clear and simpler to follow.

Keto and Dairy-Free Lamb Korma Recipe

I found myself sharing lamb recipes a lot more in December. Perhaps it’s the cold weather or the holiday season, making a pot of lamb stew feels warm and festive for the holiday season. 🙂

I decided to revisit this older recipe and give it a fresh new look and simplify the cooking steps to make it easier to follow.

The boneless lamb leg meat is slowly simmered in the coconut cream sauce with all the warming spices and herbs until it soaks up all the delicious flavors. Surprisingly much EASIER and FASTER to make!

So don’t feel intimidated to make a pot of lamb stew at home! If you are hosting a smaller holiday dinner this year with a party of 2 or 4 people, this dish will be perfect!

What is korma

According to Wikipedia, Korma is an indian dish with mild curry meat or vegetables braised in yogurt, cream, spices, and stock to create a thick creamy sauce.

The Korma style of cooking is similar to western braising techniques. The meat is first seared under high heat then slow simmered to fork tender with minimum of added liquid.

Today’s recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver’s homemade Indian curry korma paste.

A close shot of the lamb stew dish with mushrooms and spinach
Hearty one pot stew for cozy winter days!

Ingredients for lamb korma

I’ve simplified the recipe and make it easier to make. Here are some key ingredients –

  • Lamb – I recommend using boneless lamb leg meat or lamb leg steak. Good quality lamb meat is the key to a pot of flavorful lamb stew. Using freshly cut lamb meat is the best.
  • Fresh Herbs – garlic, ginger, cilantro, and shallots (or yellow onions)
  • Dry Spices – Garam masala, cumin, coriander, shredded coconut, and almond flour.
  • Coconut Cream – I use Whole Foods 365 brand coconut cream from a can. Whole Foods canned full fat coconut milk used to be thick and creamy but recently they diluted the texture and it became too thin. So now I recommend using their coconut cream, if you are buying it from the same source.

How to make homemade Lamb Korma

Trust me, I had a fear of making lamb dishes because growing up cooking lamb – with the exception of ground lamb meat – is not a common choice my family would make at home. We do, however, love ordering lamb curry when we eat out so here are the simplified steps to make a pot of delicious stew!

Step 3 sear the lamb

Lightly season the lamb with coarse sea salt. Sear and brown it over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven.

Step 4 saute the aromatics

Set the lamb aside to cool before you dice them to chunks.
Use the fat to saute freshly chopped herbs until fragrant.

Step 5 add in the dry spices

Lower the heat and add the spices and lightly roast for 30 seconds.

Step 6 add the diced lamb with milk cream and simmer to tender

Add the coconut cream and return the diced lamb to the Dutch oven. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until the lamb is fork tender.

Step 7 add the mushrooms and spinach to finish the cooking
[Optional] I stirred-in the mushrooms and baby spinach for texture and color. To finish the dish, season it with salt and lime juice to taste and marble the stew with thick creamy yogurt.

What Type of Lamb To Use

I recommend using boneless lamb leg meat or lamb leg steak. Good quality lamb meat is the key to a pot of flavorful lamb stew. Using freshly cut lamb meat is the best.

It’s also good to know that American lamb is fed with grains so the flavor is sweeter whereas the grass-fed lamb from New Zealand or Australia have stronger and more intense flavor.

The Cooks Illustrated and Mashed articles will help you learn more about different cuts of lambs and the flavor intensity.

Individual serving portion of the lamb korma, using boneless leg of lamb served in a pink bowl
Serve with blistered green beans and mashed potatoes

Storage tips

This lamb korma recipe tastes great even the day after. I recommend best finishing it the next day or within 3 days when stored in the refrigerator.

What to serve with lamb korma

Traditionally the dish is served with rice and/or naan bread. Here are some suggestions if you prefer to keep it lower in carb.

More Lamb and Curry dishes

Koram Lamb Stew in a big Dutch oven pot
5 from 9 votes

Lamb Korma (keto, paleo, Whole30)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Author: ChihYu Smith
Lamb Korma recipe with boneless leg of lamb is creamy, rich, and keto. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make this lamb stew!
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Ingredients 

Fresh herbs:

  • 0.6 oz garlic, finely chopped, about 4 large cloves
  • 0.4 oz fresh ginger root, finely chopped
  • 2 whole green or red serrano chilies, diced
  • 4 oz. shallots, sliced, (about 2 large)
  • 1 oz. fresh cilantro, chopped

Spices:

For the lamb:

  • 2 lbs boneless lamb leg meat or lamb leg steak
  • ½ tsp coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 14 oz. canned coconut cream
  • 8 oz. mixed mushrooms, baby bella, cremini, white, trumpet, or clam shell
  • 2.5 oz. baby spinach
  • ¼ to ½ one whole lime juice, or to taste
  • 2-3 tbsp dairy-free yogurt, unsweetened

Instructions 

  • Prepare the fresh herbs in a large plate.
    How to make lamb korma step photo 1 - chop the aromatics
  • Combine the spices in a bowl. Lightly season the lamb with coarse sea salt all over.
    Step 2 combine the dry spices
  • In a well-heated medium size Dutch oven, add 2 tbsp oil. Sear the lamb over medium-high heat about 2 minutes per side (4 minutes total). Set aside to cool to room temperature.
    Step 3 sear the lamb
  • Use the remaining fat, add 1 tbsp oil, saute the fresh herbs in the plate with ½ tsp salt over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    Step 4 saute the aromatics
  • Lower the heat to low, add the spices in the bowl. Stir for 30 seconds and turn off the heat.
    Step 5 add in the dry spices
  • Slice the lamb to 1.5-inch bite sizes and add them to the pot with coconut cream. Use a wooden spoon to stir and scrap the bottom to make sure nothing sticks. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until the lamb is fork tender. Remember to scrap and stir the pot periodically so nothing is stuck to the bottom.
    Step 6 add the diced lamb with milk cream and simmer to tender
  • Slice the mushrooms or use your hands to separate them. Add them to the pot with spinach. Stir for 1 minute. Season with salt to taste.
    Step 7 add the mushrooms and spinach to finish the cooking
  • Drizzle with lime juice and stir-in the yogurt. Serve hot.
    A horizontal photo shows the dish in a Dutch oven

Notes

What Type of Lamb To Use
I recommend using boneless lamb leg meat or lamb leg steak. Good quality lamb meat is the key to a pot of flavorful lamb stew. Using freshly cut lamb meat is the best. 
It’s also good to know that American lamb is fed with grains so the flavor is sweeter whereas the grass-fed lamb from New Zealand or Australia have stronger and more intense flavor.
The Cooks Illustrated and Mashed articles will help you learn more about different cuts of lambs and the flavor intensity.
Storage tips
The lamb korma stew tastes great even the day after. I recommend best finishing it the next day or within 3 days when stored in the refrigerator.
This recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver’s homemade Indian curry korma paste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 502kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 26g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 301mg, Potassium: 856mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1487IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 5mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Northern Indian
Keyword: boneless leg of lamb recipe, lamb korma, lamb korma recipe
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @iheartumami.ny on Instagram and hashtag it #iheartumami.
A serving platter with boneless leg of lamb stew recipe, mashed potatoes, and green beans
And this is our holiday dinner for the year! Creamy lamb stew with blistered green beans, mashed potatoes, and the gravy from the stew!