Lamb Rogan Josh

This Indian classic lamb rogan josh is made with mutton or lamb cooked with yogurt sauce and caramelized onions. Wonderful Indian spices perfume the lamb with rich authentic flavors, aroma, and color.

Table of Content

• What is Rogan Josh?
• Why make this lamb
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Easy lamb rogan josh recipe
• More Indian meat curries
• Tips for success
• More lamb recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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I have fond memories of the Indian rogan josh as a kid. Mom made it with mutton (goat meat). So, we called it mutton rogan josh. As kids, we simply called it mutton curry (what is mutton? we discussed it when I shared my recipe for Lamb Masala).

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Why make this lamb

• People often perceive it to be a complicated recipe. When in truth it's a lot simpler than most other recipes. Originally, this dish has a lot more ghee in it. But we've used oil and fairly little. And yet, you are free to add a few more tablespoons if your feel like being more authentic.
• There are three main components to this dish. And each of these is simple and easy to make.
  • The yogurt marinade - Simple plain Greek yoghurt with Indian spices you probably already have in your kitchen.
  • Spice mix - Whole spices that are lightly pounded to bring out the flavors. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and star anise are again things you probably have in your pantry. Alternatively, you can use store-bought garam masala.
  • Onions - This is what makes this dish rich, sweet, and scrumptious. The caramelized onions. And if you know the difference between sautéed onions and caramelized onions, then you know this is not to be skipped.

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Ingredients and substitutes

• Lamb - I prefer to use lamb shoulder or leg of lamb for this dish. The meat does take longer to cook, but it comes out tender and juicy and absorbs all those wonderful spices
• Onions - I love to use red onions. It adds a bit of sweetness which is very desirable. And it is very important that you cook the onions longer and slower. This will help caramelize the onions, which not just enhances the taste, but also adds that touch of deep red color to this dish (which I love).
• Yogurt - Meat and dairy cooked together have a unique taste. In addition, yogurt also tenderizes the meat and makes it cook faster. I've used Greek yogurt for that rich and creamy taste.
• Spices in yogurt - There really is no unique spices in this dish other than simple coriander, cumin, paprika, and cayenne or Kashmiri chili powder, which you can find on any supermarket spice rack. Usually, as a substitute, I'd say you can use my curry powder, but a curry powder has a lot more in it. So, it won't be the same rogan josh, more like any other Indian lamb curry, and it would still be delicious.
• Spice mix - These are almost whole spices used to perfume the dish by lightly crushing them. And if you don't have the whole spices you can use garam masala. This is an Indian spice blend made with warm spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon similar to a gingerbread spice mix or pumpkin spice mix. It can be found easily is most supermarkets these days. I make my own and you can find my homemade garam masala spice mix here. 

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Easy lamb rogan josh recipe

• Lamb - Trim off excess fat and cut lamb into 2 to 3-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Marinade - Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and combine well.
• Then, add lamb to the marinade and set it aside to marinate for an hour on the counter or in the fridge overnight.
  Pro tip - Always use glass or stainless steel to marinate. Do not use aluminum as it can oxidize with the acid in the marinade. Also, avoid plastic as it can get stained from the spices.
• Whole spice - Add the spices to a mortar and pestle. Lightly pound to crush them – you want the cardamoms to open and the cinnamon a bit smaller.
  Pro tip - You can open the cardamom with a knife and leave the cinnamon whole if you don't want the flavor to be too strong. Alternatively, you can use ½ teaspoon garam masala at the end of the cooking in the recipe.
• In a dutch oven or heavy-bottom saute pan, add one tablespoon of oil or ghee. And sauté the whole spices for a minute.
• Then, add the onions with a pinch of salt. Saute onions until lightly golden – about 5 to 7 minutes.
  Pro tip - Caramelizing the onions in this recipe is very important. So don't make haste and don't cook on very high heat. We want the onions caramelized not burnt.
• Once the onions have been caramelized, add the marinated lamb and remaining oil/ghee.
  Pro tip - If the lamb you are using has excess fat, you can omit the extra oil or ghee.

• Cook on high for 2 minutes while stirring constantly until the meat is no longer pink.
  Pro tip - The high heat will sear the meat on all sides keeping the pieces moist inside.
• Next, add ½ cup water and let come to a boil. Then, cover the pan, lower the heat, and let simmer on medium-low until the lamb is cooked to fork-tender.
  Pro tip - If necessary add a little more water as needed. Alternatively, you can add 1 cup of water and cook it with gravy.
• When the lamb is fork-tender, taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with fresh herbs like cilantro (fresh coriander).
• Enjoy!

More Indian meat curries

• Indian Lamb Curry - stovetop
• Slow Cooker Lamb Curry Recipe, or Instant Pot Lamb Curry
• Indian Goat Curry Recipe
• Slow Cooked Beef Curry,
• Ground Beef Curry Recipe, Meatball Kofta Curry
• How to make Chicken Curry, Instant Pot Chicken Curry
• See all Indian recipes

Tips for success

• Use lamb cuts such as lamb shoulder, leg of lamb, or stew meat when making curry. 
• Today, I am using boneless but lamb with bones is ideal for making curry as the marrow in the bones adds more flavor. 
• Cut the lamb into small pieces about 2 to 3-inches each. Large pieces will take longer to cook 
• Cook the onions until caramelized and cook on low to avoid burning. There is a huge difference in flavor when you cook the lamb with just sauteed onions compared to caramelized onions. 
• Do not skip the cooking time after adding each ingredient. Indian curry is about adding layers of flavor so don't make haste. 
• I prefer to use Greek yogurt because it is thicker. If you use regular yogurt you may need to reduce some of the cooking liquid. 
• If you use a Dutch oven you will not need any extra cooking liquid. For other pans, you may need to add ¼ to ½ cup of water every time you stir to prevent burning  
• See the ingredients and substitutes above if you don't have the spices. 
• Pressure cooking- Instead of using a dutch oven, saute in the stovetop pressure cooker or instant pot. Once you have sauteed all the ingredients. Pressure cook on medium heat for 40 to 45 minutes in a stovetop pressure cooker.
• Instant pot - set the instant pot to manual. Saute then pressure cook on high for 25 minutes, then use manual release.

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Frequently asked questions

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Printable Recipe