Lamb Rogan Josh is one of the most recognizable dishes from Kashmiri cuisine, yet you'll find it altered into a tomato-heavy dish in restaurants. After some research and speaking to my Kashmiri friends, I have created a recipe that honors its roots while adding convenience for modern-day cooking.
What Is Rogan Josh?
Rogan Josh is a slow-braised lamb or mutton dish traditionally prepared with yogurt, fat, whole spices, and dried kashmiri chilies. It's famous for its deep red hue resulting from the use of the herb "Ratan Jot," which bleeds an intense red color when bloomed in hot ghee or oil. The dish is mellow in heat but deeply flavorful.
Authentic Rogan Josh is not tomato-based. The gravy is thin but luxurious, with oil separating naturally at the surface when properly cooked. But you know this part already because you know how much I obsess about that oil separation.
Choosing the Right Lamb Cut
Bone-in lamb shoulder or leg works best for Rogan Josh. These are the two cuts I normally cook with. The bones enrich the sauce, while the connective tissue breaks down during slow, gentle cooking, resulting in tender meat and a deeply flavorful gravy.
Substitutions
Authentic Rogan Josh is yogurt-based, slow-cooked, and colored by Kashmiri chilies rather than tomatoes or cream. In my recipe, I aim to honor the minimal ingredients while incorporating thoughtful substitutions, including the addition of onions to give the sauce a fuller mouthfeel and a light touch of garam masala, cumin and black pepper for added warmth. I also garnish the dish with julienned ginger, and cilantro.
Lamb Rogan Josh
Ingredients
- 2-2.25 lbs lamb shoulder or leg
- ⅓-1/2 cup mustard oil
- Whole Spices: 2 black cardamom, 3 green cardamom, 2 bay leaves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 5 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 onion sliced
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida or 'hing'
- 1.5 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground kashmiri red chili
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon ginger powder
- ½ tbsp fennel poweder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ cup yogurt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper towards the end
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin towards the end, preferably freshly roasted
Chili Tadka
- ¾ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ cup ghee
Garnishes
- julienned ginger, cilantro and green chilies
Instructions
- In a pan over high heat, smoke out the mustard oil. This step is essential to rid the mustard oil of its pungent flavor. When you see smoke billow up from the oil, turn the heat low to cool the oil slightly so the spices don't burn.
- Add the whole spices till cumin seeds and let them crackle for 30 seconds, then add the sliced onion and saute for a good 10 minutes then add a sprinkle of hing or asofetida.
- Next, drop in the lamb pieces and give them a nice mix. When the meat is no longer pink, add ginger and garlic paste and salt. Continue sauteing for 12-15 mins on high heat to sear the meat till it develops a deep brown color. The pan will also develop fond (those brown bits that stick to the bottom).
- Next, add the ground spices (kashmiri chili, paprika, ginger powder, fennel powder, garam masala and cumin powder). Add ¼ cup of water so the spices don't burn and saute really well, about 15 mins. Patience is flavor for this dish!
- After 15 minutes, you'll see each piece of lamb has been coated well and oil separating from the sides. Now add whisked yogurt on low heat and mix into the lamb.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let the meat absorb the flavors for another 10 mins. If the masala starts to stick, add some water.
- When you lift the lid, your masala should be nice and thick, the meat deep reddish brown in color and the oil glistening around the edges of the pan. Now, add hot water till the meat is halfway covered. Let it come to a boil, then lower the heat and cover with a lid. Let the lamb slow-cook for 1 hour. Occasionally check to make sure there is enough water.
- After an hour, in a separate pan, prepare the chili tadka. Heat up ghee and sprinkle in kashmiri chili and paprika. Traditionally, the recipe needs Ratan Jot, which is an herb that bleeds red when bloomed in hot oil. That herb is not easily available and this substitute is good enough. Let the spices steep for 15 seconds, then pour into your Lamb Rogan Josh along with the black pepper and cumin powder.
- Adjust the salt and continue cooking the dish on low heat until the lamb is fully tender. The color intensifies even further as it cooks.
- Add garnishes towards the last 15 mins. Serve alongside naan or paratha.
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