India · Meat Dishes · Spicy
Rogan Josh
A jewel of Kashmiri cuisine — tender slow-braised lamb in a deep red aromatic sauce of yogurt, tomato, paprika, and warming spices. 'Rogan' means oil or clarified fat, 'Josh' means heat or passion in Persian. A royal Mughal dish that is earthy, rich, and deeply satisfying without being fiercely hot.
90 min 420 kcal 4 serves Advanced🌶️Spicy🇮🇳India★★★★★4.6· 5 reviews
Ingredients
ServingsMetric
- 600 glamb
- 2 tbspvegetable oil or ghee
- 2 large onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 cmfresh ginger
- 150 gplain yogurt
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tspturmeric
- 2 tsppaprika
- 1 tspground coriander
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tspcayenne pepper
- 2 tspgaram masala
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 400 mlwater or broth
- salt to taste
Method
- Heat oil or ghee in a deep pan. Fry the onion over medium heat until deeply golden. Add garlic and ginger, fry 1 more minute.
- Add the lamb pieces. Brown on all sides until golden.
- Add ground spices (turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin, cayenne, garam masala) and whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves). Stir well.
- Add yogurt one spoonful at a time, stirring constantly so it does not curdle. Add tomato paste, then water or broth. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to minimum. Cover and braise for 1–1.5 hours until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Serve with rice or flatbreads, topped with fresh cilantro or mint.
FAQ
Rogan Josh is a classic Kashmiri lamb curry. 'Rogan' means oil or fat in Persian, 'Josh' means heat or passion. The red color comes from Kashmiri chili and paprika — they are vivid but not very hot. This is a Mughal royal court dish.
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Comments (1)
I never cut into the lamb to check doneness for rogan josh. A thermometer preserves the juices; a knife wound lets them escape. Every cut is flavor leaving the meat.