Rogan josh

Rogan Josh is a traditional lamb dish from Kashmiri cuisine, known for its deep red colour, aromatic spices and soft, creamy texture — without tomato or cream. The sauce is built on yoghurt, spices and slowly braised meat. This dish is part of the classic wazwan cuisine.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 20 minutes
Cooking: approx. 90 minutes
Total time: approx. 110 minutes

Ingredients

• 800 g lamb (shoulder or neck), cut into large pieces
• 4 tablespoons mustard oil or ghee
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder (for colour, mild)
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, finely ground
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger (powder)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 250 g full-fat yoghurt (at room temperature, whisked with a small splash of water)
• Salt
• Optional but traditional: a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

Preparation

• Cut the lamb into large, even pieces.
• Whisk the yoghurt smooth in a bowl and stir in a small splash of water so it becomes thickly pourable. Bring the yoghurt to room temperature.
• Grind the fennel seeds finely (for example in a mortar).
• For the spice paste, mix the Kashmiri chilli powder, the ground fennel seeds, the dried ginger and the turmeric in a small bowl. Stir in a few tablespoons of water until you have a smooth paste.

Method

1. Heat the mustard oil or ghee
   Heat the mustard oil in a heavy pan over medium-high to high heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Turn off the heat and let the oil cool for a minute. If using ghee, you can heat it gently until hot, without this step.
2. Fry the whole spices briefly
   Return the heat to medium-high and add the green cardamom pods, the cinnamon stick, the cloves and the bay leaf. If using, add the asafoetida as well. Fry the spices briefly until fragrant, without burning.
3. Brown the lamb all over
   Add the lamb, season with an initial pinch of salt and brown the meat all over until it loses its raw colour and begins to take on a light colour.
4. Fry the spice paste
   Stir the spice paste through the meat and fry for 1–2 minutes over moderate heat, until the aroma is released well. Stir regularly and scrape the bottom of the pan well.
5. Add the yoghurt gradually
   Lower the heat or briefly remove the pan from the heat. Add the whisked yoghurt in 2–3 additions, stirring constantly, so the yoghurt mixes well and does not split. Return the pan to low heat once all the yoghurt has been incorporated.
6. Add water and bring just up to the boil
   Add about 150–200 ml water, stir well and gently bring just up to the boil. Then lower the heat and cover the pan.
7. Simmer the dish gently
   Simmer the Rogan Josh gently for 60–75 minutes, until the meat is tender. Stir occasionally and, if it threatens to become too dry, add a small splash of water each time. The sauce should remain thick and creamy throughout, not watery.
8. Season with salt
   Taste and season with salt.
9. Reduce the sauce
   Remove the lid and let the dish reduce gently for a few more minutes uncovered, until the sauce is clearly thick, coating and slightly glossy and clings nicely to the meat.
10. Remove the spices and serve
    If desired, remove the larger whole spices (cinnamon stick, bay leaf) before serving. Serve Rogan Josh warm with chapati or roti, or with plain steamed rice. The sauce should be deep red, aromatic and creamy, mildly spicy and warming in flavour — not hot and not tomatoey, with tender lamb in a thick, clinging yoghurt masala.