Lamb Rogan Josh

Name: Lamb Rogan Josh
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 55 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 1¼ kg (2½ lb) boneless lamb shoulder or bone-in lamb, in 4 cm pieces; 12 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt; 4 tbsp ghee or neutral oil; 4 green cardamom pods, cracked; 2 black cardamom pods, optional, cracked; 4 cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; 1 onion, finely sliced (optional); 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder, or 2 tsp paprika + ½ tsp cayenne; 2 tsp ground fennel seeds; 1½ tsp ground ginger, the traditional Kashmiri form; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger; 3 cloves garlic, grated; 250 g (1 cup) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature, whisked; 400 ml (1⅔ cups) water, hot; ½ tsp garam masala; 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Kashmiri lamb braise, deep red with chili and fragrant with whole spices

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 35 min
Total: 2 h 30 min
Level: Some skill

Rogan josh comes from Kashmir, where the Kashmiri Pandit version is cooked without onion, garlic or tomato: lamb is braised with yogurt, whole spices, ground fennel and ginger, and Kashmiri chili, which gives a vivid red color with gentle heat. This version keeps that yogurt, fennel and ginger base and adds a little onion and garlic, as many cooks do.

Ingredients

1¼ kgboneless lamb shoulder or bone-in lamb (2½ lb)in 4 cm pieces
12 gfine sea salt (2 tsp)
4 tbspghee or neutral oil
4green cardamom podscracked
2black cardamom podsoptional, cracked
4cloves
1cinnamon stick
2bay leaves
1onionfinely sliced (optional)
1 tbspKashmiri chili powderor 2 tsp paprika + ½ tsp cayenne
2 tspground fennel seeds
1½ tspground gingerthe traditional Kashmiri form
1 tspground coriander
1 tbspgrated fresh ginger
3 clovesgarlicgrated
250 gplain whole-milk yogurt (1 cup)at room temperature, whisked
400 mlwater (1⅔ cups)hot
½ tspgaram masala
2 tbspchopped cilantro

Diet: Gluten-free
Allergens: milk
Origin: India (Kashmir)
Season: Autumn, Winter

Method

Season the lamb with the salt. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the lamb in 2 batches on several sides, 6–8 minutes per batch. Set aside. 15 min
Lower the heat to medium. Add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay and fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion, if using, and cook until golden brown, 10 minutes. 10 min
Add the fresh ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the chili, fennel, ground ginger and coriander with a splash of water so the spices don't burn.
Return the pot to low heat. Add the yogurt a spoonful at a time, stirring constantly, so it doesn't split. Cook until the oil starts to separate, 5 minutes. 5 min
Return the lamb and its juices and pour in the hot water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently until the lamb is very tender, 1½–2 hours. Stir occasionally and add a little water if needed. The lamb will be about 90°C (195°F), well past the 63°C (145°F) safety point. 1 h 40 min
Uncover and simmer until the sauce is thick, deep red and the oil (the rogan) pools on top, 5–10 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, taste for salt and scatter with cilantro. Serve with rice (Perfect Rice) or naan. 8 min

Why it works

Kashmiri chili is prized for color more than heat, so it gives the dish its famous red without overwhelming spice. Whole spices fried in fat release fat-soluble aromas into the ghee, which carries them through the sauce. Adding the yogurt slowly over low heat lets its proteins warm gradually instead of curdling, and its gentle acidity brightens the sauce; the long simmer, which melts the shoulder's collagen, is what makes the lamb tender.

Common mistakes

Dumping in cold yogurt over high heat — it splits into grainy curds.
Burning the ground spices. Take the pot off the heat to add them.
Using lean leg meat, which dries out. Shoulder stays juicy.

Variations

Pressure cooker: After step 4, add the lamb and only 200 ml water and cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.
Goat: Use bone-in goat, as is common across India; simmer 2–2½ hours.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps 3 days in the fridge and improves overnight. Freezes for 3 months.

Notes

Black cardamom has a smoky aroma; leave it out if you can't find it.