Rogan Josh – an Indian lamb curry with a heady combination of intense spices in a creamy tomato curry sauce. The lamb is fall apart tender and packs a serious flavour punch! No special trip required to an Indian store for special spices, I get everything from my local grocery store.
Lamb Rogan Josh
Rogan Josh is one of the heavy hitters at Indian restaurants, a firm favourite alongside Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala and Tandoori.
I’d say Daal is up there too, but let’s be honest – if you can only order one curry, it probably won’t be daal (unless you’re with a vegetarian). Right? 🤷🏻♀️
There’s a decent list of spices called for in Rogan Josh. As would be expected given the kapow! flavour of the creamy tomato curry sauce!
But it doesn’t call for any hard to find ingredients. In fact, you can get all the spices at large supermarkets here in Australia.🙌🏻
This recipe is based on one from one my favourite chefs, Rick Stein, from his book Rick Stein’s India. I felt the addition of stock and increasing the amount of spices really made this Rogan Josh taste just that much more curry-house style. Now “that’s a mind-blasting curry, Ricky ….”
Ingredients in Rogan Josh
Here’s what you need. And yes, dear fellow Aussies, you really can get all the ingredients at Coles, Woolworths or Harris Farms!
Spices – all spices listed above are common ones with the exception of Garam Masala. This is an Indian Spice Mix which is sold at supermarkets nowadays, however, if you are struggling to find it, substitute with curry powder;
Best lamb for Rogan Josh – Lamb shoulder is best because it’s well marbled with fat and becomes ultra tender and juicy when slow cooked for a couple of hours;
Ghee – this is just pure butter so it has a more intense butter flavour than normal butter (spreadable or block for cooking). In fact, it’s just clarified butter also known as browned butter, which is simply butter that’s melted and simmered until the water content evaporates, leaving behind 100% butter fat. It’s SO GOOD and it’s an essential ingredient for flavour in Indian cooking, adding a layer of richness to the sauce. Sold at large grocery stores, or substitute with butter.
How to make Rogan Josh
And here’s how you make it. All in one go, in one pot – nice and easy!
Fall apart lamb
Rogan Josh is made with stewing lamb, so it needs to be cooked long and slow (2 hours, to be exact) for the lamb to become tender and for sauce flavour to develop.
You know it’s ready when you can use two forks to do THIS to the lamb:
What to serve with Rogan Josh
Something to soak with that glorious sauce is essential. Traditionally basmati (Indian long grain rice) rice is the go, though people suffering through low-carb torture can opt for Cauliflower Rice.
Something to mop your bowl clean would also be ideal and traditional. Real Naan you can make at home is no-brainer here! Chewy, fluffy and stretchy, you’ll feel like you’re at a restaurant! For a quicker alternative, try this easy No Yeast Flatbread that I use as naan with all my Indian curries.
Of course, something fresh will complete the meal. It’s pictured with a variation of this Herb & Garlic Cucumber Salad – I cut the cucumber into thicker chunks (for juicier bites), skipped the herb & garlic (the curry has enough flavour!) and sprinkled with coriander. Cooling Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing would also be lovely, or for something a little more substantial and exotic, try South Indian Cabbage & Carrot Salad with Coconut.
If you’re going the whole hog to create a full Indian feast, try Samosas or Pakoras for the ultimate appetiser / starter!
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb Curry)
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 tbsp ghee , substitute butter (Note 1)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamom pods , lightly bruised
- 4 cloves
- 1 large onion , finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 1 tbsp ginger , finely grated
- 5 tbsp tomato passata (US: tomato puree/sauce, Note 5)
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, double for flakes)
- 750g/1.5lb boneless lamb shoulder , cut into 3cm/1.2" cubes (Note 6)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock , salt reduced (broth)
SPICES:
- 2 tbsp paprika , normal or sweet
- 3/4 tsp chilli powder (or to taste, Note 2)
- 4 tsp ground coriander
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp garam marsala (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp fennel powder (Note 4)
FINISHES
- 1/2 cup plain yoghurt (Greek yogurt fine)
- 1/2 tsp extra garam masala (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp extra fennel powder
SERVING/GARNISH
- Chopped coriander leaves, finely shredded ginger, yogurt
- Basmati rice
Instructions
ABBREVIATED
- Toast whole spices in ghee, then sauté onion, garlic and ginger. Toast ground spices 30 seconds, add tomato, salt, stock and lamb. Simmer gently covered 1 hr 45 min until lamb fork-tender, simmer with lid off 15 min to reduce. Stir in Finishes, serve!
FULL RECIPE
- Toast whole spices – Melt ghee over medium heat in large heavy based pot. Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and cook for one minute.
- Sauté – Add onion and cook for 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until pieces are golden and starting the brown on the edges. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for another minute.
- Toast spices – Stir in the Spices, cook for 30 seconds.
- Sauce and lamb – Mix in the tomato puree and salt, then add stock and mix. Add lamb, stir, bring to simmer.
- Simmer 1 h 45 min – Place lid on and adjust heat to low or medium low so it's simmering gently. Cook 1 hour 45 minutes, giving it an occasional stir, until lamb is quite tender – use 2 forks to check, it should pry apart pretty easily.
- Reduce – Remove lid, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes (to reduce sauce slightly) – lamb should be very tender by this stage.
- Finish – Stir in the Yogurt, the Extra garam marsala and fennel. Cook for another few minutes.
- Serve with basmati rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves and other garnishes if desired. More sides (pictured): Cucumber salad (Note 7) and Easy naan – No Yeast Flatbread
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More great curries of the world!
Life of Dozer
Teaching Dozer to use his new dog door using avocado toast as incentive!!
[Update] PS Dear everyone expressing concern about avocado being bad for dogs – they are not! I use a dog nutritionist to help me create Dozer’s raw food diet, to ensure he has the right nutrition etc. And I double/triple checked with him yesterday that avocado is fine for dogs in moderation, as with many things! You wouldn’t feed dogs a whole avocado everyday (also bearing in mind the seed is a choking hazard) but some is ok.
(Though having said that, the farm dog of an avocado farmer I know has been eating 3 avocados a day her whole life, and she’s healthy and fit, and has the shiniest coat I have ever seen on a dog!!)
Delicious!! We love a good curry and this one has just gone to the top of our list, it was outstanding…my husband had three servings!
Loved this recipe. I made a double batch using 1.5kgs of cut up lamb shoulder roast. It was melt in the mouth with a good level of heat. Thank you.
It ain’t curry without curry in it, innit!
MOST Indian recipes don’t have curry powder in it! They use spices that together make up all sorts of curry flavours 🙂 N x
Curry powder is the product of the lazy English
Hi Bella, the recipe in practice would work with chicken beautifully, obviously the cut of chicken would impact the final product and cooking time. Thighs would be lovely, as would whole pieces of chicken bone-in- but either way you would only need to cook it for an hour or two before the chicken would be fully cooked and/or risking being over done.
Thanks for the reply Travis
Delicious. Trust the recipe. Only two differences I did…I couldn’t get lamb shoulder at the shops that wasn’t pre-marinated, but ColesWorth sold lamb shank meat (off the bone- AND for basically the same price as lamb shanks on the bone!!??!!) and it was devine. Also, as I needed to do a thousand things before dinner I finished it in a moderate oven (150°-ish) instead of the stove-top, giving it about an extra hour than your recipe called for as my afternoon got away from me… oh wow! Everyone from my 4 year old to my mother loved it!
Thanks Nagi
Can these steps be followed using chicken instead? How long would it need to cook for?
DAM!
Think I just made my first restaurant style curry…and I’ve been trying for years!
Well done!! N x
Has anyone tried this in a slow cooker?
That’s the way I’m going today
I love all your recipes Nagi, and go directly to your website if I’m planning to eat something yummy. Thank you for your food genius and for being you.
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes. With the rogan josh do you leave the cloves and cardamom pods in or take out after frying in the butter. Many thanks x
Hi Simone…I leave them in…they get quite soft and are tasty but if you prefer you could remove them after the simmering. Enjoy! Nx😃
Hi Nagi
Would it be more flavourful if I use coconut milk or cream instead of yoghurt? Just wondering 😊. Thanks in advance.
You could – but it’s not traditional and doesn’t make it more flavourful. N x
will Definitely make this again, so tasty, just the right amount of heat. A good Rogan Josh.
Made this recipe tonight. It was so tasty 😋 did not have fennel and had used ginger powder instead of fresh one. It still turned out perfect. I have doubled the chilli powder btw 🤭
Made this tonight it was great.
Also made the naan bread will do it again.
Hi Nagi,
Our kids don’t like lamb but I would love to make this with beef. Which cut of beef would you recommend we use? TIA!
Hi Mimi, yes you can use beef – any slow cooking cut will work here like chuck. N x
Brilliant recipe! I cook this in my pressure cooker for 35 minutes and it always turns out perfectly. Thanks for another winner Nagi! x
Another delicious recipe Nagi. Thank you!
I didn’t have any cinnamon sticks or cardamom pods so substituted with ground of both. Unfortunately I didnt have any yoghurt either so substituted with coconut cream. Still turned out delicious and lamb was perfectly cooked 😋 will do a supermarket run before I make it next time! 🙈
Yummo! Cooked this for my twins 19th birthday. It was a hit with everyone! Just the right balance of spices and heat. Thankyou
My stove top is unreliable to simmer on a constant even heat, I would need to simmer in the oven. What temperature would I need and for how long? Thank you.
Hi, Nagi! I love your site and it is one of my most trusted sources for recipes.
Is there any reason not to brown the lamb before stewing it? I have noticed other Indian recipes don’t brown the meat as well.
If I have a lamb leg, is there a way to adapt it to this recipe? (That’s what was on sale)
I made it! It was exactly like our favourite Indian restaurant! The lamb leg didn’t work perfectly but was still very tender. Obviously I didn’t cook it as long. My husband and I loved it! How on earth did you get the spice mixture so perfectly?? You are amazing!