Lamb Rogan Josh

Traditional Indian aromatic curry. Unlike anything I've ever had from a takeaway or restaurant, this curry simply blows away everyone I've ever served it to.

• Main
• 680 g diced lamb
• 1 onion
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 120 g full fat plain yoghurt
• 3 fresh red chillies
• 2 tbls sunflower oil
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp tumeric powder
• 240 ml hot water
• Spice paste
• 15 g fresh ginger
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbls coriander seeds
• 6 cloves
• 12 peppercorns
• 15 g dessicated coconut
• 15 g flaked almonds
• 7 cardamoms
• 1 tbls sunflower oil
• Garnish
• ½ tsp garam marsala
• Fresh parsley or corridander

Prepare the Spice Paste:
1. Roast the coriander seeds - either in a hot pan or under the grill until they start to make a popping sound. Put to one side.
2. Roast together the poppy seeds, cumin seeds, almonds, cardamoms, peppercorns and cloves. Put to one side.
3. Roast the dessicated coconut - keep turning it and watch it carefully as it can easily burn.
4. Grind the above roasted spices. If using a mortal and pestle it's easier to grind the coriander separetely first.
5. Crush the garlic and ginger into a paste.
6. Mix together the roast ground spices, the garlic and ginger paste with the single tablespoon of oil.

Cooking
7. Finely chop the onion and red chillies.
8. Gently fry these in the sunflower oil in a large heavy pan or caserole dish without browning.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chilli powder, tumeric and above spice paste and stir.
10. Return to the heat and gently fry on a medium heat.
11. Add the yoghurt a little at a time stirring it in as you add it. This will stop it curdling. Don't be tempted to use low-fat yoghurt as it will separate and ruin your curry.
12. Add the copped tinned tomatoes, stir in and cook for 5 mins.
13. Add the diced lamb and cook to seal the surfaces or the meat.
14. Add the hot water, cover and cook in an oven at 180 deg C for 1.5 - 2.00 hours. Check it after 1.5 hours, stir and if it still has liquid remove the lid for the last 0.5 hour. It should be a rich thick meaty sauce when done so extend your cooking time as necessary.
15. Sprinkle with garam marsala and serve with freshly chopped parsley (my preference) or coriander.

Comments (4)