Lamb Rogan Josh by Masterchef’s Raheel Mirza

By Raheel Mirza (@raheelmirzacooking)

This Lamb Rogan Josh recipe (serves 4) was a special request by one of our regulars on our Saturday night virtual cookalong.

This is one that countless people have ordered in restaurants up and down the country, but one that I have never made until very recently. Truth is that I never really knew what went into making a Lamb Rogan Josh.

After much research, I discovered that Rogan means red meat and josh means intensity; and so this is a dish that is as much intense in its colour as it is in its flavour.

Predominant flavourings of Kashmiri red chilli and fennel powder are what make this dish so unique and produce flavours that dance around your palate.

Kashmiri red chilli is much milder than regular hot chilli powder and is very vibrant red in colour, and so it can be used more liberally without having to worry about the heat factor.

This is a luxurious dish that is best served with hot chapatis or plain boiled basmati rice.

INGREDIENTS

• 750g boneless lamb cut into small bite size chunks
• 250g shallots, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 2 heaped tsp salt
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (milder and more vibrant in colour than regular chilli powder – essential for this dish)
• 125ml plain natural yoghurt
• 4 tbsp rapeseed oil, vegetable oil or ghee
• 4 cloves
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 1 star anise
• 5cm cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground coriander powder
• 1 tsp fennel powder (essential for this dish)
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

METHOD

1. Mix 2 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder with about 2 tbsp water to make it into a thick paste.
2. Marinate the washed meat in a mixture of the yoghurt, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp fennel powder and Kashmiri chilli paste. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and once hot add the whole spices (4 cloves, 2 black cardamom pods, 1 star anise, 5cm cinnamon stick, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 4 green cardamom pods, 2 bay leaves) and fry for about 1 minute until the spices start to crackle.
4. Add the sliced garlic and fry for 1 minute until golden brown.
5. Add the chopped shallots and brown these on a medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. NB. They should go a golden brown colour and not dark brown or burnt.
6. Add the marinated lamb mix with all the spiced yoghurt marinade and cook on a high flame and keep stirring until almost all the water has evaporated.
7. Add the remaining spices (1 tsp ground coriander powder, ½ tsp fennel powder, 1 tsp ginger powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder) and stir and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
8. Now add about 750ml of water and lower the heat and cook with a lid on until the meat is tender, approx. 1 hour – 1 hour 15mins. The gravy should be slightly reduced.
9. Finally garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

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