LAMB ROGAN JOSH
Lamb rogan josh is one of the most popular lamb curries. It’s fragrantly spiced rather than hot and spicy, making it a bit more family friendly.
I have to admit, I’m not the most experienced when it comes to curries! I thought it was about time to try something new, and lamb rogan josh seemed like a fairly safe option.
I chose a night when Royce wasn’t home (he won’t branch out from butter chicken when it comes to takeaway curry!) and, after my yoga class (another new thing for me), stopped in at a recommended local takeaway place. I took the curry home to enjoy with a glass of wine, completely defying the instructor’s advice to “go home and have a nice vegetarian meal with no alcohol“!!
The curry was really tasty, so I set about recreating it the next day. While the list of ingredients is a little long, it’s very easy to prepare + it smells and tastes really good! Royce really enjoyed the homemade version too.
I’ve upped the nutritional content with a side of Indian spiced veggies – these are also surprisingly yum.
Don’t forget to discard the cinnamon stick before serving! You can also fish out the cardamom pods if you like – they add great flavour to the curry but aren’t particularly nice to bite down on!
LAMB ROGAN JOSH
Lamb rogan josh is one of the most well known lamb curries. It’s fragrantly spiced rather than hot and spicy, making it a bit more family friendly. Serve with Indian spiced veggies.
Ingredients
LAMB ROGAN JOSH
- 550 g lamb leg steaks (1lb 3oz)
- 1 brown onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 400 g canned Indian flavoured tomatoes (14oz)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 cardamom pods
- 3 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 lamb stock cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water (250ml)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp plain, unsweetened yoghurt
INDIAN SPICED VEGGIES
- 1/4 green cabbage
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed veggies or peas (225g)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
TO SERVE
- 2 x 250 g microwave pouches brown basmati rice (2 x 8.8oz)
Instructions
MAKE ROGAN JOSH
Dice lamb into 2cm / 0.8in pieces, trimming off any excess fat. Season with salt and pepper. Finely dice onion and crush garlic. Use a stick blender or regular blender to puree tomatoes.
Heat oil in a large non-stick pot on medium-high. Add lamb and cook until browned all over. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and cinnamon. Lightly crush the cardamom pods and add these too. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until onion is starting to soften.
Stir in paprika, cumin, garam masala and coriander. Cook for one minute. Add tomatoes, stock mixture, sugar and salt.
Reduce heat to medium, place a lid on the pot and simmer curry for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and simmer for 5 minutes.
MAKE INDIAN SPICED VEGGIES
While curry simmers, shred cabbage. When the curry has 5 minutes left to cook (after removing lid), heat oil in a large wok on medium-high. Add cumin seeds and toast for about 15 seconds. Add cabbage, mixed veggies, paprika and coriander. Stir fry until just tender, then reduce heat to very low to keep warm.
SERVE
Microwave rice according to instructions on packet. Stir yoghurt into curry. Taste and add a touch more sugar, salt and/or pepper, if needed.
Divide rice between warmed serving bowls. Top with curry and add veggies on the side.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Choose a fruity Shiraz.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use a gluten-free stock cube (beef is fine if lamb isn’t available).
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: If you don’t like lamb, beef rump steak or boneless, skinless chicken thighs are good alternatives. If you can’t find Indian flavoured tomatoes, regular crushed or diced tomatoes will be fine (you may need to increase the sugar a little - I find plain tomatoes more acidic). A beef stock cube can be used instead of lamb.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store individual portions in containers in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.
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