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!
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 spice level really made this Rogan Josh taste just that much more curry-house style. “That’s a mind-blasting curry, Ricky ….”
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!
- 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!
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:
What to serve with Rogan Josh
Something to soak with that glorious sauce is essential. Traditionally basmati (Indian long grain rice) though people suffering through low-carb torture can opt for Cauliflower Rice.
Something to mop your bowl clean would also be ideal – try this easy No Yeast Flatbread that I use as naan with all my Indian curries.
And 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.
Hmm. OK, so it barely resembles the actual recipe – but you get the drift!!😂 I’ll pop this in the printable recipe below as well, so it’s easy to find. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb Curry)
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 4)
- 1 tsp salt
- 750g/1.5lb boneless lamb shoulder , cut into 3cm/1.2" cubes (Note 5)
- 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
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 6) and Easy naan - No Yeast Flatbread
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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!!)
By far the easiest, no fuss but most delicious lamb curry I’ve ever made!! I did not realize that it was based on Rick Stein’s recipe.
Amazing recipe and so easy to cook. Loved it.
Hello Nagi,
Your Rogan Josh filled the house with Indian spice aromas as it cooked. I had about 2 lbs of boneless leg, which I simmered without modification for an hour and a quarter to avoid drying it out. The result was outstanding. 100% authentic or not, this is an Indian dish I would be eager to serve to family and guests. So delicious. Thanks for making the recipe available.
P. S. The stars refused to accept any rating, so I will simply tell you that my intent was to rate the Rogan Josh at 5 stars.
Rick Stein’s lamb rogan josh recipe is my absolute favourite so much so that I know the recipe off by heart, which is just as well because that particular page of the book is stuck together due to splodges of curry 🤪. Although I haven’t tried this recipe I just wanted to say that lamb rogan josh cooks really well in a pressure cooker for about 30 mins on casserole setting 😊
It was nice and all spices were balanced together
Good Morning from NZ!
Can’t source Cardamon Pods at present, substitute powder by how much? Cheers, Carmen
Amazon has tons of them.
Hi Nagi! I loved this recipe, I’ve tried it twice and it’s super tasty! The first time my yoghurt curdled :(, I thought the temperature was too hot, so the next time I made sure the temperature had warmed down a bit, but my yoghurt still curdled slightly! Any tips? (I’m using greek yoghurt – should I use something else?) x
Hi Darcy, try adding the yogurt and 2 half teaspoons of spices when the curry has cooked. Remove it from the heat and stir them in but don’t put back on the heat, just serve it out. I have made this a few times this way and the yogurt never splits. Happy cooking!
Just made this dish for the first time this is my go to recipe for a good lamb curry. I used lamb forequarter chops instead but still amazing and popped some potatoes in…such an umptious curry! Looked so spicy but flavours were subtle. Family were impressed!! Thanks Nagi, another winner recipe💚💚💚
OMG how good is this recipe. My husband says it is 11/10 he just loves it and is still raving about it a week later. Will definitely be making it again very soon. Thank you Nagi
Fantastic
Another winner thankyou Nagi . I used meaty lamb chops and cooked them slowly all afternoon bones and all. Also Added a can of crushed tomatoes
This was fantastic! I was a little worried with the amount of spice relative to meat etc but it worked out beautifully, particularly with the yogurt.
I’ve made this twice now and both times have been delicious Cooked it in the Slow Cooker on high for 5 hours – kitchen smelled amazing! 😋
Hi nagi, made this last night and it is brilliant but both times I’ve made it the yoghurt has curdled when I’ve added it in at the end – do you know why this would be or how to avoid it? Does it need to be at room temp maybe? Or do you just add it in spoonfuls at a time? There must a chef’s secret I’m missing here!
PS: Still waiting eagerly for that chicken saag recipe 😉
Try whisking the yoghurt first. That is meant to stop the curdling you mentioned!
This rogan josh was simply fantastic! My husband loved it and had it for breakfast the next am! lol
Winner!!!
Very tasty. Great recipe. Thanks.
OMG, made this last night, and it was delicious.
Couldnt get Lamb Shoulder, so hat to use deboned Lamb Leg.
Reduced the cooking time to 1.25 hours, and it was tender, juicy and delicious.
thanks Nagi, for another awesome recipe