Lamb Curry

It's time to use up the leftover Easter lamb that's been sitting in the freezer for a while. Usually we have Lamb Curry, and I'm fine with that, but I decided to look for a different recipe. I found this one, and since I also have mushrooms, spinach and coconut milk available, that's what I'm going to try. However, I don't have korma paste; I didn't even know what korma paste was! However, now I know; it's an Indian cooking sauce. (I was also reminded that Shepherd's Pie is an excellent recipe for using leftover lamb.)

Unfortunately, I'm not going to go to the store today. Fortunately, the internet came through with do-it-yourself instructions. We'll see if I decide to follow all of those instructions, or just create my own variation!

Well, I didn't really make the paste, but I combined almond flour with a bunch of spices - cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and salt. I sauteed some lamb, onion and mushrooms, stirred in the coconut milk, chicken and these spices, then added the spinach. I assumed the almond flour with help thicken it, but it didn't, so it was a pretty soupy mixture that we served over rice for dinner. It was still good, particularly garnished with coconut and chutney.

The leftovers were great served as a soup with a little rice added.

Edited 5/13/25: It's time to try this again, and today I was curious about the difference between curry powder and korma paste. Here's a DIY recipe for curry powder:

• 2 tablespoons coriander
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

So, it looks like the korma spices are very similar to the curry spices*. I also learned that korma dishes contain coconut milk or plain yogurt, and usually the meat is marinated in that before cooking. So, I'll sauté some onions and mushrooms with a bit of garlic and ginger, add my leftover lamb, then stir in some of our regular curry powder with a can of coconut milk. If it needs thickening, I may add some tomato paste or cornstarch with the spinach; we'll see.

*Ingredients for curry powder: coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, celery seed, nutmeg, clove, onion, ginger, red pepper