Rogan Josh Inspired Lamb Stew

Rogan Josh is a classic hot and spicy lamb stew that’s packed with so much flavor, you won’t be able to put that fork down!

Unquestionably, lamb is my ultimate meat. If I had to choose only one meat to eat for the rest of my life, it would definitely be it.

And if I had to choose only one way of eating it, I would most probably choose something like this Rogan Josh…

Cuz you know, I’m a fan of lamb, I’m a fan of slowly braised meats and I’m a fan of spicy! So it really is a no-brainer that to me, this spicy Persian lamb curry would be a complete win-win-win.

If you’ve never had Rogan Josh before, it is a really hot and spicy lamb stew that’s cooked slowly until the meat is so tender it literally falls apart. Honestly, the dish is packed with so much flavor, you won’t be able to put that fork down, I swear.

You DO need to be a fan of spicy food, though, because not only is the dish highly aromatic, rich and super tasty, it also truly is on the fiery side!

But if you weren’t really a fan of heat and still wanted to give this dish a try, then you could easily tone that heat down by using fewer chili peppers, reducing the amount of cayenne, or even topping it with a very generous amount of plain yogurt once the stew hits your plate. You’d be surprised how much yogurt helps in taming the heat in really spicy dishes.

Now, before you get started… I’m not claiming that this recipe is flawlessly authentic, as I am 1- not Persian and 2, no specialist in foreign cuisine. Heck, I’m actually no specialist in any kind of cuisine, period. But this is my own personal adaptation of the classic Persian lamb stew, and I think that it’s pretty darn good and tastes pretty darn much like what I’d expect a good Rogan Josh to taste like.

Something tells me that you will not be disappointed, if you choose to try it for yourself!

Start by preheating your oven to 375°F

Then, remove the excess fat from your lamb roast if necessary and cut the meat into 2-1/2″ to 3″ cubes; sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper.

I strongly suggest that you also prep your veggies at this point and pre-mix all of your spices now, too. This way, you can simply dump the whole thing in the pan when comes time to add them, instead of rummaging frantically through the pantry, looking for the specific spices that you need while your onions are threatening to burn on you…

Been there, done that… I must confess: my spices aren’t that well organized, you see! In fact, they’re a complete mess! Ugh!

Once your ingredients have all been prepped, melt a tablespoon of cooking fat in a large heavy skillet set over high heat.

Add the chunks of meat in a single layer, making sure that the pieces do not touch, and cook until they’re nice and brown on all sides. Work in several batches if you have to and add more fat as needed.

Remove the cooked pieces of meat to a 7 quart Dutch oven while you work on the rest of them…

Once all the meat has been browned, lower the heat to medium, add a little more fat to the pan if necessary, then throw in the onion, ginger, garlic and cherry pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, fragrant and starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the spices, stir to coat and cook for about 1 minute to develop the flavors…

…and then add a cup and a half of water.

Continue cooking for another minute, until the water is practically evaporated…

Transfer the onions to the Dutch oven and, in a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the plain yogurt and remaining cup of water and then pour that right over the onions.

Finally, add the chopped cilantro and give everything a good stir; cover and cook in the oven for 1-1/2 hours.

After that time, give your curry a good stir, remove the lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is fork tender and the sauce has thickened.

Garnish with a handful of chopped cilantro and serve over a bed of steamed white rice, with a little bit (or a lot) more yogurt, if desired.

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5 from 2 votes

Rogan Josh Inspired Lamb Stew

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Rogan Josh is a classic hot and spicy lamb stew that's packed with so much flavor, you won't be able to put that fork down!

Servings: 8

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 3-4 tbsp cooking fat or oil, ghee preferred
• 4.4 lb boneless lamb shoulder, netting removed
• salt and pepper to taste

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• 4 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 red cherry peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

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• 3 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt, I use Himalayan salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves

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• 2-1/2 cup water, divided
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, plus more to serve
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to serve

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• Remove the excess fat from the roast if necessary, then cut the meat into 2-1/2" to 3" cubes and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• Melt a tablespoon of the fat in a large heavy skillet set over high heat. Add the chunks of meat in a single layer, making sure that the pieces do not touch, and cook until brown on all sides. Work in several batches if you have to and add more fat as needed. Remove the cooked pieces of meat to a 7 quart Dutch oven
• Once all the meat has been browned, lower the heat to medium, add a little more fat to the pan if necessary, then throw in the onion, ginger, garlic and cherry pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, fragrant and starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spices, stir to coat and cook for about 1 minute to develop the flavors, then add a cup and a half of water and continue cooking for another minute until the water is practically evaporated; add this to the meat in the Dutch oven.
• In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the plain yogurt and remaining cup of water and pour that also into the Dutch oven, followed by the chopped cilantro. Stir well, cover and cook in the oven for 1-1/2 hours. After that time, stir well, remove the lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, until the meat is fork tender and the sauce has thickened.
• Garnish with a handful of chopped cilantro and serve over a bed of white rice, with a little bit more yogurt, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 411mg, Potassium: 654mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1470IU, Vitamin C: 10.9mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 3.7mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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