Photo: Dolon Prova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Jammukashmir · Lunch

Rogan Josh

Traditional 1. Rogan Josh recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 500g bone-in lamb (shoulder/leg, cut into 2-inch pieces)
• 2.5 tbsp ghee (40g)
• ½ cup yogurt (120g, room temperature)
• 1.25 cup sliced shallots/onions (150g) [optional, for caramelized paste]
• ¾ tsp salt (3.5g)
• 1.5 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (9g)
• 1 cup hot water (240ml, plus 4-5 cups more as needed)
• 1 bay leaf (0.5g)
• 3-4 cloves (2g) or ¼ tsp ground (1g)
• 1 inch cinnamon (3g) or ¼ tsp ground (1g)
• 3 green cardamom pods (3g), crushed
• 1 black cardamom (2g), crushed
• 2 tsp fennel powder (3g)
• 1 tsp dried ginger powder (3g)
• 1 tsp garam masala (2g, optional)
• ¼ tsp asafoetida (0.5g)

👩‍🍳 How to make Rogan Josh

1. Optional step for depth: Fry shallots in 1.5 tbsp ghee until golden-caramel (8-10 min), cool, blend with 2-3 tbsp yogurt to smooth paste, reserve
2. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in heavy-bottomed pot on high heat until shimmering
3. Add bay leaf and all whole spices (cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves), let sizzle 30 sec
4. Add lamb pieces in batches (don't overcrowd), sear 1-2 min per side on high heat
5. Work in batches, don't stir immediately, let meat brown
6. Once all meat is seared and in pot, reduce heat to medium
7. Fry 4-5 min, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides
8. In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, fennel powder, ginger powder, ground spices, salt, asafoetida
9. Whisk until smooth, thin with 2-3 tbsp water if very thick
10. Remove pot from heat, stir in yogurt mixture slowly and evenly
11. Return to stove on medium heat, cook covered 3-4 min
12. Pour in 1 cup hot water, stir well
13. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low (gentle simmer)
14. Stir every 7-8 min, adding more hot water as gravy reduces (liquid should always partially cover meat)
15. Cook total 2 hours until meat is "soft, tender, falls off the bone"
16. Final gravy should be "slightly thick" from bone marrow, neither runny nor thick
17. If using optional onion paste, add during final 20 min of cooking
18. Taste and adjust salt
19. Let rest several hours (overnight ideal) for flavours to marry and deepen
20. Visual cue: Rich reddish-brown gravy coating meat, meat tender enough to pull apart, slight shine from ghee, aromatic cardamom and cinnamon scent
21. ---

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