korma

IPA/ˈkɔːmə/
IPA/ˈkɔːrmə/

korma — noun

1. a type of curry from South Asia in which meat, fish, or vegetables are slowly co

1.nounB1
Definition

a type of curry from South Asia in which meat, fish, or vegetables are slowly cooked in a thick, creamy sauce made with yogurt, cream, ground nuts, or coconut milk and mild spices

Example

Vikram ordered a chicken korma with steamed rice at the new Indian restaurant.

countable: a chicken korma (a specific dish/portion)

The chef prepared a mild vegetable korma for the guests who did not like spicy food.

modifier + korma: mild / vegetable korma

Common collocations
  • chicken korma
  • lamb korma
  • vegetable korma
  • mild korma
  • creamy korma
  • order korma
  • make korma
  • serve korma
Synonyms
  • curry

    broader term — korma is a specific type of curry with a creamy sauce

  • stew

    more general — a stew can be any slow-cooked dish, not specific to South Asian flavours

Grammar Patterns

a/an + [type] + korma

korma [mass noun]

Common Mistakes

I ordered a korma chicken.
I ordered a chicken korma.
In English, the meat type comes before 'korma', not after it.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Korma is a specific type of curry known for its mild, creamy sauce made with yogurt, cream, or coconut. 'Curry' is a broad term covering many saucy South Asian dishes with varying spice levels. 'Stew' is even broader and refers to any slow-cooked meat or vegetable dish in liquid. 'Tikka masala' is another popular curry, but it has a tomato-based orange sauce and is generally spicier than a korma. For example, a korma uses cream and almonds for richness, while a tikka masala relies on tomato and garam masala.

korma ↗curry ↗stew ↗tikka masala

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a bowl of korma
  • a dish of korma
  • a serving of korma

Etymology

PersianUrduEnglish

Korma comes from the Urdu and Persian word 'korma' (قورمه), meaning 'to braise' or 'to fry'. It entered English in the 19th century during the British colonial period in India, when British travelers and soldiers brought back recipes for South Asian dishes.