Rogan josh
Rogan josh is an Indian lamb curry made with an aromatic tomato-based sauce. This dish is cooked slowly over a low heat, which allows all the ingredients and spices to mix thoroughly. During such cooking, the meat not only becomes soft and tender, but also acquires a fantastic taste. This Indian dish is served with boiled rice or with bread such as roti or naan. Additionally, you can sprinkle it with fresh coriander and onion.
I start the preparation of Rogan josh by making a sauce in which at a later stage the lamb will be cooked. I use fresh tomatoes, onion and lots of spices to make the sauce. Most of the spices that I add are seeds, so it becomes necessary to blend the sauce at a later stage. If you add ground spices, you might as well leave the sauce unmixed. The type of meat which I select when making this dish is a boneless lamb neck. If you wish, you can use other type of lamb, such as thigh or shoulder. I cook the meat in the sauce for a little over two hours, checking from time to time if it is tender. At the end of cooking, add yoghurt and season the dish with salt and pepper. I encourage you to check the Rogan josh recipe below and hope you will enjoy it.
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Ingredients for Rogan josh.
- 800 g lamb
- 150 g onion
- 2 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 8 cardamon berries
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of coriander
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
- 250 ml water or vegetable broth
- 350 g tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 3 big cloves of garlic
- 2 centimetre long piece of ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon of sweet paprika powder
- 3 tablespoons of ghee or oil
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 3 tablespoons of natural yoghurt
Additionally – optional:
- red onion
- fresh coriander leaves
- natural yoghurt
How to make Rogan josh.
Put the cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, cloves, cumin, curry leaves, coriander and oil in a pot. Fry for a few seconds, then add the diced onion and continue frying for 6-7 minutes Рmedium heat during the whole time. After that, add the mashed garlic, grated ginger and continue frying for a few more seconds. Next, add the diced tomatoes and sweet paprika powder, chili, tomato pur̩e, turmeric and garam masala. Keep it on the heat for 2-3 minutes, then pour in water, cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, take out the cinnamon stick and blend the rest of the ingredients in a blender.
Cut the meat into large cubes and put it in a pot. Add the mixed sauce and the previously removed cinnamon stick. Bring it to a boil and cook over a low heat, with the lid slightly open, until the meat is tender – just over 2 hours. At the end of cooking, add yoghurt, salt and pepper. Serve with boiled rice, optionally with red onion and coriander.
Good to know when making Rogan josh.
Depending on which part of the lamb you go for, the cooking time of the meat may be slightly different. It is always worth checking from time to time whether the cooking meat is already sufficiently tender or whether it does not need a extra moment on the heat.
The sauce in which the meat is cooked should be thick and creamy. Therefore, it should be evaporated as much as possible, hence the cooking under a slightly uncovered lid.
Do you like curry? If so, try our recipe for Cauliflower curry.
