Lamb Rogan Josh

Kashmiri slow-braised lamb in a rich, aromatic red sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lamb shoulder, cubed
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp ginger
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp garam masala
• 4 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp ghee
• Cilantro, rice or naan

Method

1. Brown lamb in ghee in batches. Remove.

2. Add whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay) — fry 30 sec until fragrant.

3. Add onions, cook 10 min until deeply golden.

4. Add garlic, ginger — 1 min. Add ground spices — bloom 1 min.

5. Add yogurt 1 tbsp at a time, stirring between additions (prevents curdling).

6. Add tomatoes and lamb. Cover, braise at 325°F for 1.5 hours until lamb is tender.

7. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice or naan.

What You're Practicing

• Adding yogurt gradually (1 tbsp at a time) prevents it from curdling in the hot sauce.
• Kashmiri chili powder is mild and deeply red — it gives rogan josh its signature color.
• The whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon) are left in the sauce — diners push them aside.