Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh with Basmati and Crispy Onions
Kashmir's most famous curry: lamb braised until fork-tender in a deep, glossy, ruby-red gravy perfumed with cardamom, clove and fennel. Silky from a yogurt marinade, it is all warmth and aroma over fluffy basmati.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Rogan josh is Kashmir's most famous curry: chunks of lamb braised until fork-tender in a deep, glossy gravy stained ruby-red with Kashmiri chili and perfumed with cardamom, clove and fennel. The yogurt marinade keeps it luxuriously silky rather than fiery, so it reads as warmth and aroma more than heat.
It looks like it simmered all day, but a weeknight version comes together in under an hour of mostly hands-off cooking. Serve it over fluffy basmati with a scatter of crispy fried onions and fresh cilantro, and you have a restaurant-quality feast at home.
Step-by-step instructions
Whisk the yogurt with the Kashmiri chili powder, ginger-garlic paste and a good pinch of salt. Add the lamb chunks, toss to coat, and let it marinate while you prep everything else.
Heat the ghee in a heavy pot and drop in the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf until fragrant. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown.
Tip in the marinated lamb along with all its yogurt marinade and stir well. Cook over medium heat until the yogurt tightens around the meat and everything turns glossy and sealed.
Pour in a splash of hot water, cover, and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the lamb is fork-tender and the gravy reduces to a deep glossy red. Stir through the garam masala and ground fennel.
Spoon the rogan josh over a bed of fluffy basmati rice and finish with a handful of crispy fried onions and fresh cilantro. Serve hot.
Rogan josh only gets better the next day, so make a double batch and stash half for lunch. A cooling cucumber raita or warm naan on the side turns it into a full Kashmiri spread.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb (700g) boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 4 green cardamom pods, 3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 bay leaf
- 3 tbsp ghee (or neutral oil)
- Cooked basmati rice, crispy fried onions and cilantro, to serve
- Salt, to taste
Step-by-Step
- 1
Whisk the yogurt with the Kashmiri chili powder, ginger-garlic paste and a good pinch of salt. Add the lamb chunks, toss to coat, and let it marinate while you prep everything else.
- 2
Heat the ghee in a heavy pot and drop in the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf until fragrant. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown.
- 3
Tip in the marinated lamb along with all its yogurt marinade and stir well. Cook over medium heat until the yogurt tightens around the meat and everything turns glossy and sealed.
- 4
Pour in a splash of hot water, cover, and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the lamb is fork-tender and the gravy reduces to a deep glossy red. Stir through the garam masala and ground fennel.
- 5
Spoon the rogan josh over a bed of fluffy basmati rice and finish with a handful of crispy fried onions and fresh cilantro. Serve hot.
Recipe
Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh with Basmati and Crispy Onions
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb (700g) boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 4 green cardamom pods, 3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 bay leaf
- 3 tbsp ghee (or neutral oil)
- Cooked basmati rice, crispy fried onions and cilantro, to serve
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the yogurt with the Kashmiri chili powder, ginger-garlic paste and a good pinch of salt. Add the lamb chunks, toss to coat, and let it marinate while you prep everything else.
- 2
Heat the ghee in a heavy pot and drop in the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf until fragrant. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown.
- 3
Tip in the marinated lamb along with all its yogurt marinade and stir well. Cook over medium heat until the yogurt tightens around the meat and everything turns glossy and sealed.
- 4
Pour in a splash of hot water, cover, and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the lamb is fork-tender and the gravy reduces to a deep glossy red. Stir through the garam masala and ground fennel.
- 5
Spoon the rogan josh over a bed of fluffy basmati rice and finish with a handful of crispy fried onions and fresh cilantro. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.