Korma

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallyMilkYoghurt, cream and ghee are the base of the sauce.
• UsuallyTree nutsCashew or almond paste thickens most kormas; ground almond in UK-style korma.
• SometimesPeanutsPeanut paste in some Hyderabadi kormas; peanut has also been found in ground almond.
• SometimesGlutenAsafoetida (hing) can contain wheat; naan served with it is wheat.
• SometimesSesameSesame seeds in some Hyderabadi and home-style nut pastes.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Not dairy-free in any standard version, and not suitable for tree nut allergy without confirming the recipe.
• Vegetable korma and navratan korma are vegetarian, but still dairy and nuts.
• Meat korma is often halal in Muslim-run restaurants; ask if it matters.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is korma?

Korma is a slow braise in which meat or vegetables cook gently in yoghurt, cream or a paste of ground nuts, giving a thick, pale, mildly spiced sauce. It comes from the Mughal court kitchens of North India, and the name refers to the braising method rather than one fixed recipe. That's why a korma in Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai and a British high street can be very different dishes.

What's in it

• Chicken, lamb, mutton, beef or mixed vegetables
• Yoghurt, cream and ghee
• Nut paste: cashews or almonds, sometimes with poppy seeds or melon seeds
• Onion, often fried golden and ground in, plus ginger and garlic
• Gentle spices: green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mace, saffron, sometimes kewra or rose water

Regional styles vary. Mughlai and Awadhi korma is rich with nuts and saffron. British curry-house korma is the mildest and sweetest, often with coconut, cream and ground almond. South Indian kurma relies more on coconut, fennel and poppy seeds. Navratan korma is a vegetarian "nine jewels" version with paneer, vegetables, dried fruit and nuts.

Allergens and diets

Milk and tree nuts are the two to assume. Almost every korma uses yoghurt, cream or ghee, and the sauce is thickened with cashew or almond paste. Once blended, nuts are invisible, so a "nut-free korma" needs a separate recipe, not a removed garnish.

Peanut is the hidden risk. Some Hyderabadi kormas are thickened with a roasted peanut and sesame paste instead of cashews. In the UK, ground peanut has been found in ground almond and in spices, and a takeaway was prosecuted after a customer with a peanut allergy died from a curry made with peanut powder in place of almond. If you have a peanut allergy, name peanuts specifically.

Coconut isn't a regulated allergen, but it's common in British and South Indian korma. Melon seeds and poppy seeds turn up in nut pastes too (neither is a regulated allergen), and hing may contain wheat, so coeliac (celiac) diners should ask, and remember the naan is wheat.

On the menu

On South Indian menus you'll see "kurma", often a lighter, coconut-based dish, so ask which style it is.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.