Top 8: The best korma curry pastes

“Korma is a style of cooking, not an actual dish,” says Cork-based Arun Kapil, who sources spices for Green Saffron. “Regionality is the biggest factor in terms of authenticity.”

Fri, 15 Dec, 2023 - 10:16

Roz Crowley - @rozzogram

Korma curry paste can transform Christmas leftovers into a treat that takes minutes to prepare. Its mild flavour makes it a crowd-pleaser and ideal for those new to curry flavours.

“Korma is a style of cooking, not an actual dish,” says Cork-based Arun Kapil, who sources spices for Green Saffron. “Regionality is the biggest factor in terms of authenticity.”

The general perception of a Korma, he says is that it is “a creamy, almondy, nutty, more dairy-based, lightly spiced curry, typical of the Northern Indian style, incorporating spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, and ginger.

“The southern Indian [version] is much more exciting, using ingredients such as coconut [milk] and aromatic spices such as warming cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom and black pepper.”

Most of our Top 8 today come from the northern Indian tradition. Whether genuinely Indian or interpretations of the classic curry, tasters judged them on flavour.

Heat the korma with leftover vegetables and meats and serve with bread, rice, noodles, and pasta – mixing traditions is allowed at Christmas.

I spread leftover korma sauce on bread instead of butter with slices of pastrami (from The Chicken Inn) and thin slices of Hegarty’s Templegall cheese. My new sandwich was delicious.

Green Saffron Cococrazy Korma 450g €3.99

Tomatoes and onion are a base for beautifully vibrant spices – ginger, coriander, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, paprika, chilli, with garlic and cider vinegar mollified by coconut milk for a complexity that has a touch of sweetness.

Though labelled mild, it has a kick. It has no water, no thickeners, and is gluten-free. I added a tablespoon to a vegetable stock cube and water with noodles for a slurpy soup. Delicious.

Score: 10

M&S Korma 340g €3

Water is at the top of the list, thickened with chickpea flour and cornflour. There is bite to the desiccated coconut with coconut, cream, low-fat yoghurt, tomato purée providing a creamy base for onions, garlic and ginger purées, ground spices - coriander, cumin, cassia, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg, chilli, dill, allspice, ginger, cloves, fennel, mace, black pepper. Mild. Young tasters loved it too. Good to spread on bread and have on the side with fish.

Score: 8.5

Dunnes Simply Better Korma €3.99

Water is thickened by maize starch, but it’s not too gloopy and there are plenty of flavours of interest. Coconut milk and desiccated coconut, ground almonds and cashew nuts, onion, tomato, green chilli and garlic purées are mixed with cream and yoghurt and a curry powder mix of typical spices. Turmeric gives it a rich, deep yellow colour. We all liked this.

Score: 9

The Happy Pear That’s Korma 350g €2.90

Top of the list is water, thickened with cornflour, with weight also provided by tomatoes, coconut, sultanas, carrots, sweet potato, and onion. Sweetness comes from agave syrup, softening the ginger and garlic purées, coriander and unlisted spices. Mild, gluten-free and suitable for vegans, tasters thought it a little acidic, some thought it pleasant but not exciting.

Score: 7

Lidl Taste of India Korma 500g 99c

Desiccated coconut is the first noticeable texture of this rich sauce made from cream and creamed coconut. Water is the first ingredient in a long list of ingredients, thickened with modified maize starch and reconstituted tomato purée. Sugar (4%) makes the mix quite sweet. Depth comes from dried onion, garlic and purées, and a rounded blend of spices. All a bit too mild for our tasters, but it works on vegetables and is good for the price.

Score: 7

Sharwood’s Korma 420g €4.10

Water is at the top of the list here, thickened with modified maize starch and given depth with tomatoes, cream, chilli, ginger and garlic purées. At 9.6%, sugars are high from added sugar and whey protein, and there is desiccated coconut and onion for texture. Ground spices are not specified, but tasters got a little hint of chilli and liked it. Very mild.

Score: 7

Patak’s Korma 450g €3.90

Spices are very mild and not specified. There is a hint of ginger purée, creamed and slightly over-dry desiccated coconut in a base of tomato and cream. A little bland for most of our tasters, and the texture was quite gloopy when heated. Gluten-free, good to finish off roast potatoes for the last 10 minutes in the oven.

Score: 7.5

Ben’s original Korma 450g €3.09

Water is thickened with modified maize starch, tomatoes, onion, coconut and cream. There are pieces of onion as well as desiccated coconut for texture. Curry powder, unspecified spices, ginger, coriander, and garlic are not vibrant. Sugars from adder sugar amounts to a moderate enough 6.4%, but the sauce is very sweet. Children liked it.

Score: 6.5

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