I’ve long been fascinated by the cuisines of the Middle East and India, and have had the pleasure of sampling some very good dishes over the years through pot luck lunches at the office, and in trying good restaurant recommendations from friends. I, however, have very little experience cooking ethnic dishes, and much less in understanding their origin or culinary history.
First thing’s first – the rice. I use a good basmati, and steam it with nigella seeds thrown in. These have a faint onion taste, and add a beautiful colour contrast to the rice.
What I do understand from these cuisines is that the food is home made, few shortcuts are used, and the cooking is passed down (most often verbally) from one generation to the next. And the meals that result are the true source of such classics as rogan josh. Over time, these classics seep into other cultures and thus get “popularized” within that culture. What results are recipes that tend to vary quite a bit in both ingredients and preparation, until, one observes that there is no longer one single source recipe for the original dish. I think rogan josh falls under this category. A menu staple in many Indian restaurants, rogan josh is (to most people) a rich lamb curry with a sauce heavier in consistency and flavour than most curries. A bit of research led me to discover that this dish has its roots in Persian cuisine, and is a signature Kashmiri recipe.
On the left are the whole spices that have been ground, and on the right is the finishing nut/spice mixture of coriander, salt, garam masala, pepper, fennel and almonds. The onion sits happily nestled in between the two spice bowls, awaiting its chopping.
There are endless variations on recipes for rogan josh, so I resorted to trying one for which I had most ingredients on hand. This slightly adapted version comes from Anjum Anand’s I Love Curry cookbook. While the list of ingredients is a bit long, most of them are spices. Yes, you could simply purchase a rogan josh spice paste or jar of sauce at your local supermarket to make the stew, but if you are a spice lover like me, and want to make good use of the spices you purchase while they’re still fresh, this dish will be worth your effort.
The lamb sizzles in the pan, ready for a bronzing session before we begin the sauce for the stew.
There is something to be said for cooking from scratch, and this holds especially true when it comes to mixing and grinding your own spice blends for your recipes. This lamb stew is fragrant, and a delight for the senses. The spices release a complex, layered fragrance, and add a taste complexity and freshness to the sauce. In this recipe, Anjum developed a more authentic version of rogan josh using a yogurt and almond base, which I loved. Tomatoes are often found in this stew, and while good, aren’t true to the original recipe. In my version, I add some tomato paste for some depth of flavour. I also add some chopped onions, a common staple in most curry dishes, to give the sauce a bit of texture.
The addition of the yogurt to this stew serves a dual purpose: it mellows out the heat, and adds a velvety richness to the sauce.
Meat and Tater Man, who tends to shy away from trying cuisines different from what he’s accustomed to, was pleasantly surprised by the scent and flavours of this stew, and would happily welcome a bowl of it anytime from now on. I love that you can taste all kinds of different spices that merge to create a mellow, savoury depth of flavour with some heat that you don’t really notice until you’ve had a few bites. The heat is more of a gentle, warming one, rather than a burning, alarming to the senses version. This is rich, rewarding food, for both the cook and the eater. If ever there was a case to be made for using fresh, whole spices in order to make your own blend, this is surely the poster child recipe. And, while not authentic to its origins, you could certainly substitute chicken, pork or beef, or go completely vegetarian to suit your tastes or dietary needs. You will still be rewarded with a sensuous, if unauthentic, feast. But when it comes to good eating, does it matter?
A beautiful lamb rogan josh, atop a bed of hot basmati rice that has been flecked with lovely little nigella seeds. A piece of naan bread on the side would be a welcome addition to this meal.
This is a fabulously fragrant dish that will reward all of your senses. I like to buy boneless legs of lamb, then once home, slice the leg into thick lamb steaks. I will often barbecue the steaks, or, if I'm in a mood for curry, I simply dice the lamb steaks for some perfect stew meat.
If you don't have Greek yogurt, you can substitute full fat yogurt that's been well stirred. You may also substitute some ground spices for the whole ones, if you feel adventurous or you don't have time to run out and buy whole ones.
I love this served over hot basmati rice that I've cooked with some nigella seeds.
This recipe is adapted from Anjum Anand's I Love Curry cookbook.
Ingredients
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 8 green cardamom pods
- 6 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 2-3 inches long)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger from a jar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 7 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb meat, cut into cubes (I like to buy a boneless leg of lamb for this)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, ground
- 2 tbsp ground almonds
- 1 tsp paprika, for colour (optional)
- handful of fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Using a spice grinder or a good mortar and pestle, grind the whole spices (black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, chili powder) to a fine powder with the dried bay leaves.
- Separately blend together the garlic, ginger and tomato paste with a tablespoon of water and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the lamb cubes and brown well over high heat; this will take a good 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the diced onion, and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onion has softened but not browned, about 5 more minutes.
- Add the ginger/garlic/tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly as the water starts to dry. Once the paste is cooked, all you will see is clear oil in the pan and the garlic will smell cooked.
- Add half the yogurt and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly and quite briskly, almost folding the yogurt into the lamb until it has been fully absorbed by the meat; it will take another 8 to 10 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining yogurt, stirring constantly as before. Once it is boiling, simmer, stirring every now and again, until the liquid in the pan has reduced by around one third.
- Now add the ground whole spices, ground coriander and salt and cook, stirring, for a few minutes more. Add 3/4 cup of water and stir to combine with the sauce.
- Cover and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Half way through the cooking, check to see if the sauce has reduced. If so, add some more water. I added another 3/4 cup of water to ensure the liquid wouldn't scorch at the bottom of the pan, and the meat would stay tender.
- Add the garam masala, black pepper, ground fennel seeds and ground almonds.
- Taste, adjust the seasoning and add paprika (if using) for a rich red colour.
- Cook for another minute, add the cilantro, if using, and serve over some cooked basmati rice.
Looks delicious, lamb rogan josh is one of my favorite Indian dishes. Thanks for sharing your recipe:)