Lamb Rogan Josh
Tender lamb shoulder in a brick-red yogurt gravy, scented with fennel, ginger and whole spices. A slow afternoon, a heavy pot and plenty of basmati rice.
Serves 4 · Prep 20 min · Cook about 2½ hours
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess hard fat and cut into 4 cm pieces
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 5 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick, about 5 cm long
- 1 bay leaf
- 200 g full-fat plain yogurt, whisked smooth; take out of the fridge while you prepare the ingredients
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, not a chilli seasoning blend; heat varies by brand
- 2 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
- 400 ml hot water, divided, plus extra as needed
- 300 g dry basmati rice, to serve
Give the lamb its time.
Cool the pot briefly before adding the yogurt, then stir it in a spoonful at a time. Keep the simmer gentle. The lamb is ready when a fork slides in easily, not when the timer says so. If you scale up, use a wider pot and brown in more batches; the cooking time will not simply double.
Warm the bowls and let the rice catch the gravy. Use Kashmiri chilli powder for its colour and aroma; brands vary in heat, so start cautiously if yours is unfamiliar. Remove the whole spices you can find and let people know that some may remain.
Method
- Pat the lamb thoroughly dry. Heat the ghee in a heavy-based casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in 2–3 batches, leaving space between the pieces; allow about 15 minutes in total. Transfer to a plate. If the browned bits turn black, wipe them out before continuing.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the cumin seeds, cracked cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf to the fat. Stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Mix the Kashmiri chilli powder, fennel, ginger and coriander with 3 tbsp of the measured hot water. Stir this paste into the pot for 30–60 seconds. Add a splash more of the measured water if it starts to stick; the spices should smell fragrant, not scorched.
- Take the pot off the heat for 1–2 minutes so it is no longer fiercely hot. Stir in the smooth yogurt a spoonful at a time, mixing thoroughly between additions. Return to the lowest heat and keep stirring gently for 2 minutes; avoid a hard boil.
- Return the lamb and its resting juices to the pot. Add the salt and the rest of the measured water. Scrape up the browned bits and bring to a gentle simmer. The gravy should come partway up the meat; it need not cover it completely.
- Cover and cook over very low heat for about 1½–2 hours, stirring and checking the liquid every 25–30 minutes. Add a small splash of hot water if the gravy catches or becomes too thick. Begin checking the lamb after 90 minutes: a fork should slide in easily and the pieces should yield without resistance. If they are still firm, keep cooking gently; some shoulder cuts need longer.
- Once the lamb is tender, uncover and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes if the gravy needs reducing. It should lightly coat the meat and still pool around it. While it reduces, cook the basmati rice according to its packet instructions. A little red oil around the edges is normal; do not boil the sauce hard to force it smooth.
- Lift out the cinnamon, bay leaf and any cardamom pods or cloves you can find. Taste and adjust the salt. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve in warm bowls with the rice and plenty of gravy. Tell diners that some whole spices may remain.
