Lamb Rogan Josh Recipe: Easy and Healthy

This lamb rogan josh recipe is perfect for a homemade curry night! It's delicious, easy to make and a real crowd pleasing curry recipe too. Why order a takeaway when it's so good to make your own curry?

Now I don't need to tell you that I love curries. I make curries at home from scratch. I have supermarket curries in the freezer for when there really is no time to cook and I am also very familiar with my local Indian takeaway, just like many other people in the UK!

Although I sometimes take the easy option, the best curries are without doubt the homemade ones. A takeaway curry can be oily and heavy and is almost certainly not good for you. A homemade curry like this lamb jogan josh is probably one of the healthiest dishes you can eat, as well as being super tasty and filling. You don't need to use expensive cuts of meat either so it's also an economical choice.

If you ask lots of people what their favourite kind of takeaway is, they'll probably say curry. One of the classic Indian meals you can get from most Indian takeaways is a rogan josh.

What is a rogan josh?

A rogan josh is traditionally made with lamb but can be made with chicken too. It's a slow cooked curry in a rich tomato based sauce with yogurt too. It's usually medium and not too hotly spiced. Although a lamb rogan josh is usually slow cooked, this version cooks a little quicker than most as I've used rump rather than leg or shoulder.

Although lamb rogan josh is not a very hot curry, there are lots of ways you can adapt the heat to suit your tastes. If I am not cooking for the children I like to add some whole chilli peppers to the sauce. I prick them a couple of times with a sharp knife so that they flavour the curry as it cooks.

What ingredients do you need for lamb rogan josh?

To make this lamb rogan josh curry you'll need:

• Cooking oil - Use any cooking oil you would normally use. You can even use coconut oil.
• Whole spices - black peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves and a cinnamon stick
• Bay leaves
• Onion - I usually use a brown onion but red onion is also fine.
• Lamb - I often use rump for this lamb curry.
• Ground spices - ground coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, garam masala and turmeric.
• Garlic - Use fresh garlic or a garlic paste
• Ginger - Like with the garlic, you can use fresh root ginger or a paste.
• Tomatoes.
• Yogurt - I use full fat Greek yogurt. It is less likely to split than low fat yogurt and as such a small amout is used, it's still a healthy choice.
• Coriander leaves (cilantro)

How do you make this lamb rogan josh?

This lamb rogan josh is easy to make and I use the same method as with lots of my other easy homemade curries.

First heat some oil in a saucepan. Add the whole spices and cook for just under a minutes until they are fragrant.

Then add the chopped onion. Cook until soft. Then add the ginger and garlic followed soon after by the ground spices. At this point the curry can be a little dry so I often add a little water and stir everything together.

Then add the lamb and cook until the pieces are browned on all sides. To get a smooth sauce I blitz the tomatoes in the food processor and then stir into the curry. Leave to simmer until the lamb is cooked and tender.

The cooking time varies depending on the cut of lamb that you use. Some lamb will need to be simmered slowly for up to 2 hours and other cuts will be ready much more quickly.

Stir the yogurt into the lamb at the end and simmer very very gently for another 10 minutes.

Can you adapt this lamb rogan josh recipe?

This recipe is for a fairly quick cook lamb curry. If you have more time then you could use a cut of meat such as leg or shoulder and simmer gently for 90 minutes before adding the yogurt at the end.

As I said above, add extra chillies if you want a hotter curry.

You can also make this with chicken so feel free to substitute it if that is what you prefer.

What to serve with lamb rogan josh

I love to serve this lamb curry with basmati rice but it's also great with naans or chapatis. If you have the time then why not make a vegetable curry to serve with it?

I also love to make a raita and a kachumber salad to serve on the side too!

Storing and reheating

Any leftover lamb rogan josh can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to three days. Reheat it gently in a saucepan or in the microwave.

Freezing lamb rogan josh

If you want to freeze the leftovers, put it in individual freezer-proof containers once it has cooled and you can freeze it for at least three months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight before reheating thoroughly.

Are you looking for more easy curry recipes?

Why not have a look at my recipe collection of easy homemade curries? Or take a look at one of these curries:

• Lamb Meatball Curry
• Red Goan Chicken Curry
• Bombay lamb curry with potatoes and green beans
• Lamb Vindaloo Curry

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Do let me know if you make this lamb rogan josh or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.

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