Put the 5 Tbs of slivered almonds, shallots, ginger, and 6 Tbs of water into a blender. Blend it into a paste and set it aside.

Heat the vegetable or coconut oil in a large pot, and when it’s hot add in the pieces of meat. Place the meat in 1 layer across the surface of the pot and sear it until it’s browned on all sides. You may have to do the meat in batches. When it’s done take it out, and set it aside.

If you are cooking in clay, transfer the oil from the pot (after cooling it quite a bit) to avoid cracking the clay to your clay pot.

Put the cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick into the hot oil the meat was browning in. Stir them around, in a few seconds the spices will start to swell up and get fragrant.

Add in the onions. Cook the paste for about 4 minutes then add in the coriander, cumin and chili. Stir fry the onions until they are a light brown.

Turn down the heat to the medium range and add in the paste from the blender. Stir fry the spices a bit, about 3 minutes or so.

Add in the meat pieces, and any juices, salt, cream, ½ cup of water. Bring everything to a boil.

Once it’s boiling, turn it all down to low and simmer everything with the lid on the pot.

Cook this for an hour or so, until the meat is tender. Stir it often and make sure nothing is sticking. You may need to cook it for more than an hour on a very low heat.

If you are cooking in clay simmer the korma for about 5 hours on a very low heat, just as one would cook something in a crock pot. Check it occasionally.

When the korma is done transfer it to a Pyrex bowl and stick it in the fridge for overnight storage.

The day of the dinner party, take it out, skim any fat that’s accumulated from the top and slowly reheat it before serving.

Just before serving the Korma, stir in ¼ tsp of garam masala.

Sprinkle the top of the dish with chopped cilantro and the thinly sliced almonds.