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4.85 from 19 votes

lamb rogan josh

Make lamb rogan josh that's better than you can get at your local Indian restaurant.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Pre-cook the lamb1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: beef rogan josh, lamb rogan josh
Servings: 2
Calories: 479kcal
Author: romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

Pre-cook the lamb

  • 1 lb lamb shoulder stew meat bone in or not - up to you
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder or Indian restaurant spice mix
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • enough water to cover the lamb

Spice mix

  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp Indian restaurant spice mix powder - recipe link below
  • 1/2 tsp tandoori masala powder
  • 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp kasoor methi - dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Restaurant lamb rogan josh

  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 2" cinnamon bark - cassia
  • 3 green cardamom pods
  • 1/2 small onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 red pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 Tbsp garlic ginger paste - recipe link below
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste diluted in 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 Tbsp cilantro leaves and stems - finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 15 oz curry base - recipe link below
  • 1 tsp brown sugar or jaggery
  • 3-4 cherry tomatoes cut in half
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pre-cook the lamb

  • This is basically the easiest stew you will ever make.
  • Combine the lamb, curry or mix powder, salt and enough to water to cover in a sauce pan.
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the lamb is tender. This usually takes 60-90 minutes.
  • You can do this the day before. You can also make batches and freeze the lamb in 12 oz portions (cooked weight) to make curries whenever you'd like. That's what I do.

Lamb rogan josh

  • Combine the coriander powder, cumin powder, Indian restaurant spice mix, tandoori masala powder, kashmiri chili powder, paprika, black pepper, salt and kasoor methi in a small bowl. This is your spice mix.
  • Cut up the onion and red pepper.
  • Dilute the tomato paste with enough water to get to the consistency of passata.
  • Heat your frying pan (don't use non-stick) briefly over medium heat. Add 3 Tbsp vegetable oil. Use all the oil specified. It's important.
  • When the oil starts to shimmer add the cinnamon bark and green cardamom. Cook until you see little bubbles form around the whole spices.
  • Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are soft and a few are starting to brown around the edges.
  • Add the garlic ginger paste. Cook it, stirring constantly, until it stops sputtering.
  • Turn down the heat to medium low and add the spice mix. This is the critical step. Stir it constantly for about 30 seconds. If it starts to darken lift the pan off the heat. You want the spice mix to cook in the oil but not burn.
  • Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the diluted tomato paste and stir until bubbles form (the oil will likely separate). This takes around 30 seconds to one minute depending on the heat.
  • Add the cilantro leaves and stems. Cook for around 15-20 seconds.
  • Mix in the yoghurt. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30-45 seconds.
  • Add 3 oz of curry base. Stir until bubbles form (little craters really), around 30 seconds. Watch the edges of the pan. The curry can stick here.
  • Now add 6 oz of curry base and stir briefly. Let it cook until the bubbles form again. This takes 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the curry base and let cook until the bubbles form. Turn the heat down to low and add the pre-cooked lamb and sugar.
  • Let the curry simmer for about 5 minutes. If it gets too thick add a bit more curry base. Don't add water.
  • Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are just warmed through. Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh coriander if you like and serve.

Notes

Tandoori masala powder is available in any Indian grocery.
The recipe for curry base is here.
The recipe for indian restaurant spice mix is here. 
The recipe for garlic ginger paste is here.
If you haven't read about Indian restaurant technique yet, do that before you start cooking.
Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
If you are making multiple curries, have your curry base warming in a pot on the stove. If you are just making one, microwave it to warm it up right before you start cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 2servings | Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1539mg | Potassium: 883mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1737IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 6mg