Whether you call this lamb rogan josh or mutton rogan josh doesn't matter. This Indian classic 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. And, with my simplified rogan josh recipe, no one will believe you made it at home.
I have fond memories of the Indian rogan josh as a kid. Mom made it with mutton. 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).
What is Rogan Josh?
This is an authentic North Indian dish and consists of cooking the meat in oil at intense heat. The name Rogan Josh means red passion. Rogan meaning red color and josh meaning passion or heat.
Often, people think this dish is spicy. But that's not true. In fact, this dish is red, and yet, not necessarily spicy. Having said that, an Indian curry without a little heat feels incomplete. And, we love that spicy edge to our curries.
Living overseas with non-Indian friends, this dish got a whole new meaning for me. In fact, there is not one Indian restaurant I know that does not have lamb Rogan Josh on its menu (Mutton Rogan Josh in some Indian restaurants). And often, a few different variations.
Today, I want to share with you my recipe for Rogan Josh. And, like many of my friends, you will be surprised at how simple, easy and effortless this lamb curry is.
Table of Content
About this recipe
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 feeling 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 yogurt 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. If you know the difference between sauteed onio
n s and caramelized onions then you know this is not to be skipped.
Ingredients and substitutes
As you can see this dish is fairly simple in terms of method and technique because what makes this dish a success
- 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. 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, 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. 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. This can be found easily is most supermarkets these days. I make my own and you can find my homemade garam masala spice mix here.
Step by step instructions (pin)
Marinate lamb/mutton
- Cut lamb into cubes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and combine well.
- Then combine lamb and marinade.
- Set aside to marinate for an hour on the counter or in the fridge overnight.
Prepare whole spices
- Add the spices to a mortar and pestle.
- Lightly pound on them to crush them - you want the cardamoms to open and the cinnamon a bit smaller.
- Alternatively, you can use ½ tsp garam masala at the end of the cooking in the recipe.
Caramelize onions
- In a heavy bottom saute pan or non-stick pan.
- Add one tablespoon oil or ghee and whole spices - saute 30 minutes.
- Then add the onions and a pinch of salt.
- Saute onions until lightly golden - about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Once the onions have been caramelized.
Add lamb/mutton
- Add the marinated lamb and remaining oil/ghee.
- Cook on high for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Then, add ½ cup water and let come to a boil.
- Cover the pan, lower the heat, and let simmer on medium-low until the lamb is cooked to fork tender.
- 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 cooked taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Garnish with fresh herbs like cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Is mutton rogan josh spicy?
The authentic lamb rogan josh can be spicy but this one is not too spicy. I make it less spicy by using more sweet paprika for the color instead of all cayenne. The sweet smoked paprika gives the rogan josh that beautiful color.
Can I use other meats to make Rogan Josh?
You can use lamb or mutton and if that does not work for you, you can also use chicken. Call it chicken Rogan Josh. It's still delish.
Can I make this with coconut yogurt?
Rogan josh is made with dairy yogurt. And yet, if you can't use dairy yogurt you can use coconut yogurt. The dish will have the flavor of coconut, which is wonderful too.
What can I serve this lamb with?
We love to serve this lamb rogan josh with homemade naan or butter naan. Sometimes I serve it with fruit and nuts rice pilaf. My mom would make mutton rogan josh and serve it with fresh homemade chapati.
What else can I make with lamb?
Oh, lamb is such a versatile dish. Here are some Indian as well as non-Indian lamb recipes I have shared with you on this blog.
- Lamb Biryani
- Grilled Lamb Chops with Cilantro Chutney
- Slow Cooked Lamb Masala Indian
- Slow cooked lamb with creamy polenta.
- Roast Lamb shoulder in Red Wine sauce
- Herb crusted roast leg of lamb
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Recipe
Lamb Rogan Josh
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs (1 kg) Lamb sliced shoulder or leg
- 1 lb (500 g) Onions sliced, (about 3 large)
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Oil or ghee
FOR THE MARINADE
- 1 cup (250 ml) Greek yogurt plain
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Garlic 8 cloves minced
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Ginger fresh grated - 2-inch
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Coriander powder
- ½ tbsp (½ tbsp) Cumin powder
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Red smoked paprika sweet
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Cayenne hot
- ¼ tsp (¼ tsp) Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Ground pepper
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Salt
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Lemon juice
SPICE MIX
- 6 (6 ) Green cardamoms
- 4 (4 ) Black cardamoms
- 1 (1 ) Stick cinnamon
- 4 (4 ) Cloves
- ½ (½ ) Star anise
- 2 (2 ) Bay leaves
Instructions
MARINATE LAMB
- Cut lamb into cubes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and combine well.
- Then combine lamb and marinade.
- Set aside to marinate for an hour on the counter or in the fridge overnight.
PREPARE WHOLE SPICES
- Add the spices to a mortar and pestle.
- Lightly pound on them to crush them – you want the cardamoms to open and the cinnamon a bit smaller.
- Alternatively, you can use ½ tsp garam masala at the end of the cooking in the recipe.
COOK THE LAMB
- In a heavy bottom saute pan or non-stick pan.
- Add one tablespoon oil or ghee and whole spices – saute 30 minutes.
- Then add the onions and a pinch of salt.
- Saute onions until lightly golden – about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Once the onions have been caramelized,
- Add the marinated lamb and remaining oil/ghee.
- Cook on high for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Then add ½ cup water and let come to a boil.
- Cover the pan, lower the heat, and let simmer on medium-low until the lamb is cooked to fork tender.
- 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 cooked taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Garnish with fresh herbs like cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
C Del
Than you for this recipe! I would like to make this in my crock pot as simply as possible. I will be using a leg of lamb which is about 4.5 lbs so will double ingredients. I will sauté onions then add all ingredients (including garam masala) to the pot except the yogurt which I will add about 15 minutes before serving. My questions are:
Will this work?
If I put the lamb in whole will it shred like pork does or do I need to cut it up prior to cooking?
How long on “low” should I cook this double batch.?
Curious why there are no tomatoes in your recipe. I thought that was standard in Rogan Josh.
Veena Azmanov
yes, you can make this in the crockpot. If you put a whole lamb leg it may not shred but it will become soft depending on how long you cook it.
I suggest either 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. I usually do overnight for a leg of lamb.
Yes, add the yogurt in the last half hour would work. You can use tomatoes if you fancy. I just find that yogurt and tomatoes sometimes can make it sour.
Thanks
Sara Welch
What a unique and savory recipe for dinner! I am adding this to my dinner line up for the week!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Sara. So flavorful. You must try.
Ivana
Indian people make the best lamb and mutton dishes, this is just a fact! I can't wait to try this!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Ivan. I do love my Indian food.
Caitlyn Erhardt
The sauce for this lamb sounds incredible! Wonderful recipe, thank you!
Veena Azmanov
It is so delicious Caitlyn. You must try
Heidy L. McCallum
I really enjoy reading your blog and trying your recipes. You remind me of myself with the wonderful history behind the food. I always enjoy that part. I think that one should know about the background and understand the culture a bit--- To me, it helps make the recipe more authentic if you have never made it because you know and understand it's the background. Thank you for having an enjoyable blog with wonderful recipes. I will be saving this to make soon.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Heidy. Thank you for your lovely comment. I do love knowing my food especially because it is linked to culture.
Mary Bostow
This sounds SO GOOD! I cannot wait to make this! Thanks for your recipe. The photos just about have me drooling.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Mary. So good. You must try.
Dannii
This is one of our favourite curries to make. We usually do ours in the slow cooker.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Dannii. Yes, you can make it in a slow cooker too.
Catherine
Do you have any suggestions of changes to make for the slow cooker version?
Veena Azmanov
You can make this in a slow cooker but only the final cooking.
So basically, you saute everything on the stovetop and then transfer it all to the slow cooker.
Don't skip the caramelized onions. You can make those ahead too
It will be very delicious cooked on low for about 6 hours. Let me know how it turned out.
Catherine
Thanks for the reply 🙂
It was ok. But the yoghurt split for some reason. I did everything on the stovetop but then put it all in the slow cooker with an extra cup of water.
Veena Azmanov
Ah, Catherine. I'm sorry, my mistake. I forget to mention that yogurt in the slow cooker should be only added at the last one hour. Sorry, didn't realize. I hope it was still tasty. Next, time add the yogurt only at the last hour of cooking. Apologize again.
Brian Jones
It is breakfast time here right now and I want Rogan Josh for breakfast! It is one of my favourite curries, your recipe sounds fantastic, looking forward to giving it a try.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Brian. Yes, we usually have it for lunch and dinner. I hope you try my recipe.
Alexandra
That meat looks incredible! Delicious and full of flavour - this is one beautiful dish.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Alexandra. Very delicious and full of flavor.
Sara Welch
What a unique and tasty dinner! I know what I am going to try tomorrow night; looks spectacular!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Sara. Let me know how it was.
Natalie
Looks so delicious and juicy! YUM!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Natalie.