Lamb Korma

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 1/2 cups hot water, divided
• 2 lb boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of large pieces of fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
• 3 tbsp ghee, divided
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 serrano chile, slit lengthwise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• a pinch of ground cloves
• a pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature Label: milk and live cultures, with no sugar or thickeners
• 1/4 cup heavy cream Label: cream, with no gums or carrageenan
• 1 medium head cauliflower, riced, or 1 1/2 lb fresh riced cauliflower
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews: Put the cashews in a small bowl, pour 1/2 cup of the hot water over them, and set them aside while you brown the lamb. A short soak softens raw cashews so they blend into a completely smooth cream.
2. Brown the lamb: Pat the lamb dry and season it with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Set the Instant Pot to sauté on high, melt 1 tablespoon of the ghee, and brown the lamb in two batches, 4 to 5 minutes per batch, until browned on a couple of sides. Move it to a plate. Crowding the pot steams the meat, and the browned bits left behind flavor the sauce.
3. Brown the onions: Add another tablespoon of ghee and the onions and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and golden brown. Deeply browned onions are the backbone of a korma, melting into the sauce and giving it its rich, rounded sweetness.
4. Bloom the spices: Add the garlic, ginger, serrano, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, cloves, and nutmeg and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Pour in the remaining 1 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pot clean. Every browned bit has to come up, since anything stuck to the bottom can trip the Instant Pot's overheat warning and stop it from coming to pressure.
5. Pressure-cook: Return the lamb and its juices, stir, lock the lid, and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then release the rest. Lamb shoulder is full of connective tissue that melts into gelatin under pressure, so the meat turns spoon-tender and cooks far past the 145°F (63°C) safe point.
6. Blend the cashew cream: While the lamb cooks, blend the soaked cashews with their soaking water in a blender until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
7. Cook the cauliflower rice: Near the end of the natural release, heat the remaining tablespoon of ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the riced cauliflower and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender with a little bite. High heat cooks off the moisture, so the pieces stay separate and fluffy.
8. Finish the korma: Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and serrano. Set the Instant Pot to sauté on low, stir in the cashew cream, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Turn the pot off. Whisk the yogurt and cream in a bowl, whisk in a ladle of the hot sauce to warm it, then stir the mixture into the pot and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Warming the yogurt first and adding it off the heat keeps it from curdling, so the sauce stays smooth.
9. Serve: Spoon the korma over the cauliflower rice and scatter the cilantro on top.