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Home Collections Curries

Rogan Josh

By:Nagi
Published:28 Feb '20Updated:12 Nov '21
471 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Rogan Josh – an Indian lamb curry with a heady combination of intense spices in a creamy tomato curry sauce. The lamb is fall apart tender and packs a serious flavour punch!

While this recipe calls for a lengthy list of spices, you won’t need to take a trip to an Indian store to get them – they’re even sold at my local grocery store!

Rogan Josh with steamed Basmati Rice and cucumber salad

Lamb Rogan Josh

Rogan Josh is one of the heavy hitters at Indian restaurants, a firm favourite alongside Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala and Tandoori.

I’d say Daal is up there too, but let’s be honest – if you can only order one curry, it probably won’t be daal (unless you’re with a vegetarian). Right? 🤷🏻‍♀️

There’s a decent list of spices called for in Rogan Josh. As would be expected given the kapow! flavour of the creamy tomato curry sauce!

But it doesn’t call for any hard to find ingredients. In fact, you can get all the spices at large supermarkets here in Australia.🙌🏻

This recipe is based on one from one my favourite chefs, Rick Stein, from his book Rick Stein’s India. I felt the addition of stock and increasing the amount of spices really made this Rogan Josh taste just that much more curry-house style. Now “that’s a mind-blasting curry, Ricky ….”

Close up of fall apart tender lamb Rogan Josh

Ingredients in Rogan Josh

Here’s what you need. And yes, dear fellow Aussies, you really can get all the ingredients at Coles, Woolworths or Harris Farms!

Ingredients in Lamb Rogan Josh

  • Spices – all spices listed above are common ones with the exception of Garam Masala. This is an Indian Spice Mix which is sold at supermarkets nowadays, however, if you are struggling to find it, substitute with curry powder;

  • Best lamb for Rogan Josh – Lamb shoulder is best because it’s well marbled with fat and becomes ultra tender and juicy when slow cooked for a couple of hours;

  • Ghee – this is just pure butter so it has a more intense butter flavour than normal butter (spreadable or block for cooking). In fact, it’s just clarified butter also known as browned butter, which is simply butter that’s melted and simmered until the water content evaporates, leaving behind 100% butter fat. It’s SO GOOD and it’s an essential ingredient for flavour in Indian cooking, adding a layer of richness to the sauce. Sold at large grocery stores, or substitute with butter.


How to make Rogan Josh

And here’s how you make it. All in one go, in one pot – nice and easy!

How to make Lamb Rogan Josh

Fall apart lamb

Rogan Josh is made with stewing lamb, so it needs to be cooked long and slow (2 hours, to be exact) for the lamb to become tender and for sauce flavour to develop.

You know it’s ready when you can use two forks to do THIS to the lamb:

Close up showing tender lamb in Rogan Josh

Rogan Josh in a bow, ready to be eaten

What to serve with Rogan Josh

Something to soak with that glorious sauce is essential. Traditionally basmati (Indian long grain rice) rice is the go, though people suffering through low-carb torture can opt for Cauliflower Rice.

Something to mop your bowl clean would also be ideal and traditional. Real Naan you can make at home is no-brainer here! Chewy, fluffy and stretchy, you’ll feel like you’re at a restaurant! For a quicker alternative, try this easy No Yeast Flatbread that I use as naan with all my Indian curries.

Of course, something fresh will complete the meal. It’s pictured with a variation of this Herb & Garlic Cucumber Salad – I cut the cucumber into thicker chunks (for juicier bites), skipped the herb & garlic (the curry has enough flavour!) and sprinkled with coriander. Cooling Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing would also be lovely, or for something a little more substantial and exotic, try South Indian Cabbage & Carrot Salad with Coconut.

If you’re going the whole hog to create a full Indian feast, try Samosas or Pakoras for the ultimate appetiser / starter!

– Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Close up of Rogan Josh in a rustic bowl, served over basmati rice

Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb Curry)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Mains
Indian
4.98 from 161 votes
Servings4 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. An Indian lamb curry to die for! A heady combination of intense spices in a creamy tomato curry sauce, the lamb is fall apart tender and packs a serious flavour punch. While this recipe calls for a lengthy list of spices, you won't need to take a trip to an Indian store to get them - they're even sold at my local grocery store!

Ingredients

  • 3.5 tbsp ghee , substitute butter (Note 1)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 green cardamom pods , lightly bruised
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 large onion , finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic , finely minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger , finely grated
  • 5 tbsp tomato passata (US: tomato puree/sauce, Note 5)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 750g/1.5lb boneless lamb shoulder , cut into 3cm/1.2" cubes (Note 6)
  • 1.5 cups / 375ml chicken stock , salt reduced (broth)

SPICES:

  • 2 tbsp paprika , normal or sweet
  • 3/4 tsp chilli powder (or to taste, Note 2)
  • 4 tsp ground coriander
  • 4 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp garam marsala (Note 3)
  • 1/2 tsp fennel powder (Note 4)

FINISHES

  • 1/2 tsp extra garam masala (Note 3)
  • 1/2 tsp extra fennel powder

SERVING/GARNISH

  • 1/2 cup / 125g plain yoghurt (Greek yogurt fine)
  • Chopped coriander leaves, finely shredded ginger, yogurt
  • Basmati rice

Instructions

  • Melt ghee over medium heat in large heavy based pot. Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and cook for one minute.
  • Add onion and cook for 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until pieces are golden and starting the brown on the edges.
  • Add the garlic and ginger, cook for another minute.
  • Stir in the Spices, cook for 30 seconds.
  • Mix in the tomato puree and salt, then add stock and mix.
  • Add lamb, stir, bring to simmer.
  • Place lid on and adjust heat to low or medium low so it's simmering gently.
  • Cook 1 hour 45 minutes, giving it an occasional stir, until lamb is quite tender - use 2 forks to check, it should pry apart pretty easily.
  • Remove lid, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes (to reduce sauce slightly) - lamb should be very tender by this stage.
  • Stir in the Yogurt, the Extra garam marsala and fennel. Cook for another few minutes.
  • Serve with basmati rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves and other garnishes if desired. More sides (pictured): Cucumber salad (Note 7) and Easy naan - No Yeast Flatbread

Recipe Notes:

1. Ghee is pure butter (butter is actually fat + water), has more intense butter flavour than normal butter. Sold at large grocery stores in Australia, sub with butter.
2. Chilli powder - this is pure chilli and it's spicy. This is not "Chili Powder" as sold in the US which is a spice mix and not that spicy.
3. Garam masala - Indian spice mix sold at large grocery stores nowadays. Sub with curry powder.
4. Fennel powder – This is simply ground fennel seeds. If you can only find fennel seeds, toast them carefully on a dry skillet. Then grind using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. 1 tsp fennel seeds will roughly yield 1/2 tsp of fennel powder. If you cannot find either ground or whole fennel seeds, you can leave this out.
5. Tomato passata – Plain pureed tomato. In the US it's called "tomato puree" - also what's called "tomato sauce" is fine to use (eg Hunts) (Aussies/UK - do not use what we call tomato sauce!).
Substitute: 1 tbsp tomato paste mixed with 4 tbsp water + 1/2 tsp sugar. Or puree canned tomato and measure out 5 tbsp.
6. Lamb - shoulder is best, it's marbled with fat so it's beautifully juicy once slow cooked until fall apart tender. Trim big hunks of fat but leave some. You want 750g of lamb after trimming.
Do not use leg or other lean cut, it will be dry.
If using bone in, get one around 1.1 - 1.2kg then cut meat off the bone.
7. Cucumber Salad pictured in post - use this Herb & Garlic Cucumber Salad, but I cut the cucumber into thicker chunks (for juicier bites), skipped the herb & garlic (the curry has enough flavour!) and sprinkled with coriander.
8. Storage and reheating - Keeps up to 5 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. Like all stews and braises, it's even better the next day! Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. If it seems a little thick, loosen with stock if you have some left, else just water. Adjust seasoning if required – sometimes they need a small salt bump the next day.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 381cal (19%)Carbohydrates: 16g (5%)Protein: 29g (58%)Fat: 23g (35%)Saturated Fat: 12g (75%)Cholesterol: 116mg (39%)Sodium: 828mg (36%)Potassium: 735mg (21%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 1892IU (38%)Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)Calcium: 129mg (13%)Iron: 6mg (33%)
Keywords: indian curry, lamb curry, lamb rogan josh, rogan josh
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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Life of Dozer

Teaching Dozer to use his new dog door using avocado toast as incentive!!

[Update] PS Dear everyone expressing concern about avocado being bad for dogs – they are not! I use a dog nutritionist to help me create Dozer’s raw food diet, to ensure he has the right nutrition etc. And I double/triple checked with him yesterday that avocado is fine for dogs in moderation, as with many things! You wouldn’t feed dogs a whole avocado everyday (also bearing in mind the seed is a choking hazard) but some is ok.

(Though having said that, the farm dog of an avocado farmer I know has been eating 3 avocados a day her whole life, and she’s healthy and fit, and has the shiniest coat I have ever seen on a dog!!)

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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471 Comments

  1. Karmen M says

    May 9, 2023 at 5:04 am

    I am hosting ‘Girl’s Night In’ this week and it’s an Indian-themed menu. Of course I turn to you, as your recipes always rock! We all love lamb but I cannot find shoulder anywhere right now. If I sub beef, do you recommend chuck roast? And, actually curious if you think worth it or should I switch gears completely and choose another dish? Many thanks!

    Reply
  2. Yasmin says

    May 7, 2023 at 6:49 am

    5 stars
    Amazing flavour! Great curry recipe thanks Nagi 🙂 also love the cookbook here in the UK!

    Reply
  3. Dennis says

    April 17, 2023 at 10:37 am

    5 stars
    This was excellent! I followed the recipe and used leftover grilled boneless leg of lamb and followed the instructions as if using uncooked lamb. It was sooo good! I bought your cookbook and have also made so of those recipes. You are my new favorite chef!!!

    Reply
  4. Victoria L says

    April 14, 2023 at 6:07 pm

    5 stars
    This is by far the best curry recipe ever, we didn’t have lamb so I used beef. Absolutely amazing!!!

    Reply
  5. Lisa Wiesbauer says

    April 8, 2023 at 9:50 am

    5 stars
    OMG our new favorite lamb recipe!!!
    Hubby just called it Nirvana:)
    Thank you SO much for this recipe!
    Can’t wait for our company to check it out tomorrow night. Cooked in advance, since as said, always better the next day and that leaves time for Daal Fry and Saag Paneer-perfect:)))))

    Reply
  6. Donna says

    April 2, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    5 stars
    I made this curry but adjusted it to serve 6, absolutely delicious and even better 2 and 3 days later.

    Reply
  7. Deb says

    March 31, 2023 at 8:20 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for guests (together with the easy Naan breads) and it was absolutely delicious. I made it the day ahead and the flavours really developed (as a good curry always does). It was so good and I’ll definitely be cooking this again and again.

    Reply
  8. Maree says

    March 31, 2023 at 6:14 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! Super easy, and oh so delicious!

    Reply
  9. Deb says

    March 27, 2023 at 5:32 pm

    5 stars
    I normally will follow any recipe religiously the first time I cook it….then 9/10 will change it, if it is good enough to repeat. Your recipes get the same, except I never need to change them:) This time, I had a cooked lamb roast going to waste so I substituted that, instead of raw lamb….I saw other recipes, but really wanted yours, so I cooked it for slightly less time. I feel such a fraud….however, the curry was absolutely beautiful…and the lamb so tender….phew….my family had me under pressure. Thank you Nagi for so many recipes, including your marvellous cook book…bought it purely for the Peking beef…it did not disappoint…for that recipe alone, the book was more than worth it..

    Reply
  10. Carla says

    March 5, 2023 at 12:10 pm

    5 stars
    This is my favorite Indian dish when we go out for Indian food. At the restaurant I usually get it with chicken. Because we raise our own sheep I really wanted to try it with lamb, It was amazing! I prepared everything as the recipe said except I put it in the instant pot on high pressure for 45 minutes. It turned out great! The next day I made it again, with no objections from the family, but with chicken. I used the instant pot again but on high pressure for 10 minutes. Again, it was delicious! Of the two, the lamb was awesome!

    Reply
  11. Rupert Reeves says

    February 27, 2023 at 7:07 am

    5 stars
    Best Roghan Josh ever. Family thought it amazing. Son said it was one of his top ten meals ever!
    Made the Nan Bread too – most excellent. Going to do it again soon for a curry club night with mates.

    Reply
  12. Snez says

    February 1, 2023 at 7:13 pm

    OMG l made this tonight and it was the best curry l have had ever. So full of flavour and just the right spice. I will never go out for Indian again, and the ones in the supermarkets lack flavour.
    Thanks so much for this lovely recipe.

    Reply
  13. Mark says

    December 17, 2022 at 6:24 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe, I adapted slightly by using coconut oil instead of ghee (it smelt amazing), beef instead of lamb and once I completed all the additions cooked in the slow cooker for 6 hours. The sauce was a lovely consistency and the flavour is miles better than the restaurant curries in my area.
    Can’t wait to try the Vindaloo..!

    Reply
  14. NorseArcher says

    November 28, 2022 at 10:58 am

    5 stars
    This was simply amazing! Thank you for providing the imperial measurements! I had to use beef (blasphemy, I know) as we had no lamb available. I appreciate the notes about spices. I had good ol’ American chili powder so added 1/4 t of cayenne pepper. Flavors were wonderful and hubby said he’d take this over plain American stew any day! I also made your naan recipe to go with- that was a hit too! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Best wishes

    Reply
  15. Mithila says

    October 25, 2022 at 10:32 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect as always
    ? Can’t we cook this in instant pot pressure cooker ?

    Reply
  16. David W says

    October 19, 2022 at 8:35 am

    5 stars
    I had two forequarter chops that were very different in size so dinner for two was off the table. I made this recipe instead (full whole spices, everthing else halved) and it turned out amazing. Served over chips for a deluxe experience…can’t wait to make it again. Exceptional.

    Reply
  17. Salma says

    October 19, 2022 at 7:51 am

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe. Kids love it. Just wondering if I can use powdered stock instead of liquid stock?

    Reply
    • NorseArcher says

      November 28, 2022 at 11:01 am

      Hi Salma, is your powdered stock one that you add water to? If so, I think it would be fine. I use a paste stock that you add water to and it is the equivalent of liquid stock.

      Reply
  18. Corinne says

    October 17, 2022 at 6:47 pm

    I love this site so much. Always beautiful recipes. This one tops it. I used lamb leg steaks and substituted half for potatos which I added towards the end of cooking. I didn’t add more fennel or Graham masala. The yoghurt is a must for me. Just a tad to balance the spice. Was absolutely perfect. Thank you.

    Reply
  19. Susanna Tang says

    October 1, 2022 at 9:35 am

    Hi Nagi. Can I cook this recipe in a slow cooker? The cost of energy in the UK is bloody terrible….. I made your yummy beef stew using a slow cooker and it was so good. Thanks

    Reply
  20. Abir says

    October 1, 2022 at 4:33 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much. followed the recipe exactly (except added double onions).
    It was sooo good.
    Thanks Nagi for all your efforts Xx

    Reply
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