How to Cook Rogan Josh
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Ingredients needed to make Rogan Josh:
- 1 ½ lb leg of lamb, bone retained and chopped
- 3 tbsp plain yogurt, whisked
- 2 tomatoes, pulsed into a puree in a blender
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ¾’’ fresh ginger, peeled and halved
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 mace
- One 1’’ cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 3 black cardamom pods
- 7 whole black peppercorns
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 2 tsp ground fennel seeds
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- Fistful of fresh cilantro leaves and stalks, chopped
Cooking instructions for Rogan Josh:
- Pour oil in a large, deep-bottomed skillet and wait until it turns hot over moderate heat.
- Throw in the black and green cardamom pods, mace, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns into the pan and stir fry for a couple of minutes or until they start popping and gives out a pleasant piquant aroma.
- Stir in the onions and continue to sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until they caramelize.
- Drop in the lamb chunks and cook further for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until they brown evenly on all sides.
- Dump the ginger and garlic into a food processor, along with a tbsp water and pulse them into a fine paste.
- Spoon this paste into the sautéed mixture and give it a nice stir to mix well.
- Lower the heat and continue to simmer for about 3-4 minutes, while stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle the powdered spices over the above mixture, along with the tomato puree, yogurt and a dash of salt.
- Stir them all together to mix thoroughly, put a lid on and simmer the mixture over reduced heat, for about 10-12 minutes, or until the cooking liquid dries up completely.
- Spoon a couple of tbsp boiling water into the mixture, give it a good stir and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, while stirring constantly and splashing water every time the sauce tends to dry up.
- Cook until the sauce thickens and pour in boiling water until the meat is completely submerged in it.
- Cover and heat the mixture until it starts boiling.
- Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook likewise for another 8-10 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked.
- Tip the contents of the pan into a serving bowl and top it up with chopped cilantro.
- Serve right away with fried Indian flatbread or parathas.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
