An Indian lamb curry that you will make over and over again. It is to die for!
Rogan josh is a traditional dish from the Kashmir region of India, with origins tracing back to Persian cuisine. It features tender meat, usually lamb or goat, slow-cooked in a rich, aromatic sauce made with yogurt, garlic, and a blend of spices, including saffron and Kashmiri red chili, giving it a distinct deep red color and complex flavor.
My mom often made this tecipe. And while it was one of my favorite recipes, one memory is of the incident when things went wrong. Mum was cooking this recipe for guests that were joining us for lunch. All I had to do was turn off the stove after fifteen minutes since mum had to step out for an errand. When she returned, she found an almost charred dish, I had forgotten to turn it off. She didn’t yell but her look said it all. Sometimes disappointment hurts far more than a yell! Nevertheless, this recipe brings back happy memories of Sunday lunches!
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed powder
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1.5 lbs lamb with bones small pieces
- 3 cardamom seeds powdered
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (found in Indian grocery stores)
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 small onion diced fine
- 3 cloves garlic diced fine
- 1 tablespoon ginger diced mine
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cardamon bruised
- 6 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 chicken bullion cube, optional
- Salt to taste
- Finely chopped cilantro leaves and ginger cut into thin slivers for garnish
Method:
- In a glass bowl, mix in the yogurt, fennel seed powder, cardamon seed powder, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, and pepper powder and marinate for an hour or two
- In a large heavy pot or in a pressure cooker, heat the ghee. When hot, add in the bay leaves and the bruised cardamon. Let it splutter and add in the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.
- Add in the cinnamon powder and stir in
- Mix in the tomato puree, Bullion cube, and salt
- Let it cook for 2 minutes until you start to see the oil separate
- Add in the lamb. Stir and then pour in a cup of water
- Cover with a lid and cook on lowest flame for 1.5 hours or until the meat is tender
- If cooking in a pressure, put on the lid and cook for 30 minutes on high pressure
- Remove from flame and stir in the garnish – cilantro and ginger
- Enjoy with pulav, hot chapatis, or rice