Lamb Rogan Josh is a delicious, decadent Indian lamb curry made by cooking lamb with ginger, chili, spices, and yogurt. The unique vibrant red color of the dish makes it stand apart from other lamb curries. Packed with flavor, rogan josh is the perfect lamb curry to wow your family and friends.
Jump to:
This recipe for Lamb Rogan Josh has been a family favorite, and I have tried and tested it enough times to know that it can beat what you can get at most Indian restaurants. Rogan Josh is a very popular Indian lamb curry recipe that ranks up there with some of the best and most popular Indian restaurant-style meals, such as Butter Chicken or Tandoori Chicken Tikka.
What makes Rogan Josh so special though? For some, it’s in the unique way in which flavors are layered, and for many, it is the vibrant red color of the curry itself.
What is Rogan Josh?
Originating in Kashmir, in Northern India, Rogan Josh is a slow-cooked lamb or mutton (goat meat) curry known for its spice (heat) and vibrant red color. The red color you see in rogan josh is traditionally achieved with the use of ‘Ratan Jot’ – also known as ‘Alkanet Root’, a herb used to add rich red color to Rogan Josh, and also to other Indian recipes such as Tandoori Chicken.
So do you need 'Ratan Jot' to make Rogan Josh? Not really! You can use Kashmiri chili powder which does a good job at giving the curry a deep red hue, without adding too much heat. Many restaurants also use saffron to give the Rogan Josh a deep red color, and a unique aroma.
There is a whole debate around what goes into traditional Rogan Josh…typically, Roan josh is made without onions or tomatoes and often yogurt is not used either – the three ingredients you will find at the base of many Indian curries. However, I personally prefer using the three ingredients to balance out the spice from the Kashmiri chili powder.
In my recipe, I recommend browning the onions until caramelized – this gives the curry so much depth of flavor. If you prefer to stick to tradition, skip the onions and tomatoes. Either way, slow-cooking the lamb in the unique blend of Kashmiri spices gives you fantastic results.
Ingredients
To make Lamb Rogan Josh, you will need the following:
Notes on ingredients:
Lamb pieces: Use bone-in lamb – preferably shanks or neck-pieces. I have used lamb neck in this recipe. The bone marrow infuses the gravy with so much flavor as the lamb slow-cooks.
Kashmiri Chili Powder: This is a key ingredient for authentic lamb Rogan Josh. The traditional recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of Kashmiri chili powder for every 500 grams (17 oz.) meat. I have reduced the amount of chili powder for this recipe.
Saffron: Saffron is a traditional Kashmiri spice, used to enhance the red color of Rogan Josh and used in many recipes from Kheer to Chicken Dum Biryani, for its characteristic color and aroma.
Optional ingredients:
Onions: I recommend browning the onions to give the Rogan Josh more flavor.
Tomatoes: Canned or fresh tomatoes are optional, and usually not used in traditional Rogan Josh. However, they help in balancing out the spice from the chilis and also impart color to the dish.
Step by Step Recipe Instructions
As part of the prep, add the saffron strands to the bowl with the yogurt and let the saffron bloom in the yogurt for 10 minutes at least. We will use this to add color and aroma to the Rogan Josh.
Start with a large heavy bottom pot such as a dutch oven which is ideal for both searing meat and slow cooking on the stovetop.
Preheat the Dutch oven and add the mustard oil. Let that heat up and add sliced onions.
Cook the onions in the oil until they start to caramelize and turn brown in color. The caramelization gives the organ josh both a darker color and a strong flavor profile.
Add the whole spices - bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and minced ginger, and garlic.
Add the meat pieces - for rogan josh, you can use either lamb or goat (mutton) meat. I have used lamb neck-pieces, but lamb shoulder also works very well.
Sear the meat on high heat to give a slight caramelization to the meat. Use your spatula to move the meat around so that it cooks evenly.
Add the spice powders - coriander, garam masala, turmeric and the key spice for rogan josh - Kashmiri chili powder. If the amount of chili powder seems high here, don't worry, Kashmiri chili powder is very mild, and is used mainly to give the curry a nice red color.
Add the tomatoes. Give it all a good mix, add 1/2 a cup of water and remove any residue sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
Then, remove the lid, season with salt, and add the saffron-yogurt mixture. Give it a good mix and make sure there is no residue stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover with a lid and let the curry simmer on medium heat on the stovetop for 1 hour 30 minutes. Check the tenderness of the meat - it should easily come apart when pierced with a fork. If not, cook for a further 10-15 minutes until tender.
Lamb Rogan Josh is ready to be served. It goes well with a side of Naan or Basmati Rice, accompanied by Raita.
Recipe Variations
Make the original Traditional Lamb Rogan Josh Recipe - To make Rogan Josh the traditional Kashmiri way, skip the tomatoes and onions. If you can get hold of Ratan Jot (a herb that can be found in Indian grocery stores), use this to add intense red color to the Rogan Josh.
Make Chicken Lamb Rogan Josh - You can also substitute the lamb for chicken or even beef. If you are making chicken lamb rogan josh, remember to use legs and thighs with the bone, and not boneless pieces. The cooking time for chicken will recude by half, as chicken cooks quicker than lamb. Overcooking the chicken can casue the poultry meat to dry out and become stringy. To make Mutton Rogan Josh or Beef Rogan Josh, simply replace lamb with mutton or beef. As always, use bone-in meat for best results.
Popular Indian Lamb Curry Recipes
If you are looking for more hearty, decadent Indian lamb recipe, here are some that I highly recommend:
Lamb Rogan Josh
Ingredients
- 700 grams Lamb (bone-in) Use lamb shoulder or neck or shanks
- ⅓ cup Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Saffron strands
- Minced ginger and garlic
- 1 teaspoon Salt enough to season
Spice Powders
- 1½ tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon Fennel powder
- ½ tablespoon Garam Masala (optional)
- ½ tablespoon Coriander Powder
Whole spices
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 4-5 Cloves
- 5-6 Peppercorns
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 4 Green Cardamom
- 2 Black Cardamom
Instructions
- Add the saffron strands to the bowl with the yogurt and let the saffron bloom in the yogurt for 10 minutes at least. We will use this to add color and aroma to the Rogan Josh.
- Start with a large heavy bottom pot such as a dutch oven which is ideal for both searing meat and slow cooking on the stovetop.
- Preheat the Dutch oven and add the mustard oil. Let that heat up and add sliced onions.
- Cook the onions in the oil until they start to caramelize and turn brown in color. The caramelization gives the organ josh both a darker color and a strong flavor profile.
- Add the whole spices - bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and minced ginger, and garlic.
- Add the meat pieces - for rogan josh, you can use either lamb or goat (mutton) meat. I have used lamb neck-pieces, but lamb shoulder also works very well.
- Sear the meat on high heat to give a slight caramelization to the meat. Use your spatula to move the meat around so that it cooks evenly.
- Add the spice powders - coriander, garam masala, turmeric and the key spice for rogan josh - Kashmiri chili powder. If the amount of chili powder seems high here, don't worry, Kashmiri chili powder is very mild, and is used mainly to give the curry a nice red color.
- Add the tomatoes. Give it all a good mix, add 1/2 a cup of water and remove any residue sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Then, remove the lid, season with salt, and add the saffron-yogurt mixture. Give it a good mix and make sure there is no residue stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover with a lid and let the curry simmer on medium heat on the stovetop for 1 hour 30 minutes. Check the tenderness of the meat - it should easily come apart when pierced with a fork. If not, cook for a further 10-15 minutes until tender.
Love it
I like it, its so amazing so test