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Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb Curry)

Rogan Josh served over basmati rice with cucumber salad.
A bowl of Rogan Josh with basmati rice and cucumber salad.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder in a richly spiced tomato and yogurt sauce, served with basmati rice.

By Cookin' Kitchen

  • Total: 2 hours 50 minutes
  • Servings: 4 servings

Recipe

Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb Curry)

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder in a richly spiced tomato and yogurt sauce, served with basmati rice.

Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/rogan-josh-indian-lamb-curry

Prep
20 minutes
Cook
2 hours 30 minutes
Total
2 hours 50 minutes
Servings
4

Ingredients

4 servings

For 4 servings

Rogan Josh

Spices

Finishes

Serving and garnish

Instructions

Method

  1. Step 1: Melt the ghee over medium heat in a large, heavy-based pot. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves; cook for 1 minute.

  2. Step 2: Add the onion and cook for 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pieces are golden and beginning to brown at the edges. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.

  3. Step 3: Stir in the spices and cook for 30 seconds.

  4. Step 4: Mix in the tomato passata and salt, then add the stock and mix. Add the lamb, stir, and bring to a simmer.

  5. Step 5: Cover the pot and adjust the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is quite tender. Check with two forks; the meat should pull apart fairly easily.

    A fork pulls apart tender lamb in the thick curry sauce.
  6. Step 6: Remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. The lamb should be very tender.

  7. Step 7: Stir in the yogurt, additional garam masala, and additional fennel powder. Cook for a few more minutes.

  8. Step 8: Serve with basmati rice, sprinkled with coriander leaves and other garnishes if desired. Cucumber salad and naan are also suggested as sides.

Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Ghee can be replaced with butter. Garam masala can be replaced with curry powder.

  • For fennel powder, toast fennel seeds in a dry skillet and grind them. The recipe notes say 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds yields roughly 1/2 teaspoon of powder; if you cannot find fennel seeds or powder, you can leave it out.

  • Tomato passata can be replaced with 1 tablespoon tomato paste mixed with 4 tablespoons water and 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or with 5 tablespoons of pureed canned tomato.

  • The recipe notes specify pure chili powder, not the American spice blend sold as chili powder. Adjust the listed amount to taste if desired.

  • Lamb shoulder is recommended. Trim large pieces of fat but leave some; avoid lean cuts such as leg, which the recipe notes say can become dry. For bone-in lamb, the notes suggest starting with 1.1–1.2 kg and cutting the meat from the bone.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. If the curry is too thick, loosen it with stock or water and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
381 kcal
Fat
23 g
Saturated fat
12 g
Carbohydrates
16 g
Sugar
5 g
Fiber
5 g
Protein
29 g
Sodium
828 mg
Cholesterol
116 mg

Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.

About this recipe

Rogan Josh is a slow-simmered lamb curry with a richly spiced tomato sauce finished with yogurt. Lamb shoulder cooks until tender and is served with basmati rice.

Ingredients for Rogan Josh arranged around a bowl of raw lamb, including spices, tomato, yogurt, and stock.
The lamb, spices, and other ingredients for Rogan Josh.

The spices toast in the same pot as the onion, garlic, and ginger before the lamb simmers gently in the sauce.

Close-up of lamb pieces in a thick reddish Rogan Josh sauce.
Tender lamb in the spiced tomato sauce.
A six-panel sequence showing the curry being cooked in a pot, from frying aromatics to adding yogurt and checking the lamb.
The curry comes together in one pot, from toasted spices to tender lamb.

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