Indian Lamb Rogan Josh

A succulent lamb stew

Lamb rogan josh was by far my favorite dish in India. A chef at the famous Lake Palace in Udaipur ran a delivery kitchen near our home, and we had dinner brought to us via motorcycle at least once per week. The food was exquisite, and the flavors were more intense than anything I had ever eaten before. The most outrageously spicy dish was lamb rogan josh. It was crunchy with whole cloves, anise, and cardamom—you either had to pick them out, or just go for it and chew them whole, overindulging in the precious flavors of the orient. The heat of the chilies made the dish almost unbearable—the kids couldn’t hack it—but I learned something shameful about myself: I am a culinary masochist. My instrument of choice is spice. Rogan josh delivered an ecstasy unavailable through any other medium, and I kept going back for more.

Yuvraj, our host, taught me how to make a mean mutton curry. He explained how to properly use the spices, how long to cook the meat, and even how fortunes could be told in the separating oils. Although we made some excellent curries at the family home, I never attempted to master lamb rogan josh while we were in India. Why would I when the best I had ever had was just a phone call away? When we returned back to the states, however, I’ve realized that the only way to recapture the rogan josh I fell in love with was to learn to make it myself.

Since our return, I’ve been chasing the dragon. I’ve loads of research and experimenting, and I think I’ve finally come up with an excellent recipe. At least it’s at a point in its maturity where I feel it’s ready to debut, though it will no doubt continue to grow and evolve. I have deliberately made a few adjustments that set this recipe apart from the rogan josh we had in Udaipur, for better or worse. The first is that I take advantage of my oven to slow cook and finish the rogan josh, which was almost certainly finished on the stove-top at the restaurant. I have also toned down the spiciness and the chili heat. I have to make it palatable to my family, after all. Fortunately, they do have a high tolerance for spice, because this recipe is still over-the-top. Mix in a little yogurt if you need to tone it down a bit, but I encourage you to push the envelope—after all, there is pleasure in the pain.

Ingredients:

· 2 lbs lamb shoulder or leg, fat removed and cut into large (1½ in.) chunks

Marinade:

o 8 cloves of garlic

o 2 fingers peeled fresh ginger root

o 1 t. turmeric

o 1 t. ground black pepper

o ¼ c. yogurt

Whole spices (to grind):

o 6 whole black cardamom pods

o 6 whole cloves

o 1 whole cinnamon stick

o 2 whole pieces of mace

o 2 whole pieces of star anise

· 6 small dried hot red chilies

· 3 T. peanut oil

· 2 medium onions, minced

· 10 fresh hot red chilies (Thai chilies work), stems and seeds removed, minced

· 2 t. ground coriander seeds

· 1 T. sweet paprika

· 2 t. ground cumin seeds

· 2 t. ground fennel seeds

· 1½ t. garam masala

· 1 bay leaf

· 2 c. tomato puree (fresh or canned)

· 1-2 t. salt

· 2-3 c. water

Garnish:

o ¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro and/or mint

Directions:

1. Prepare marinade: puree garlic and ginger in a blender or food processor (adding minimal water). In a non-reactive (not metal) bowl that is large enough to hold the lamb pieces, combine all of the marinade ingredients. Add lamb pieces and mix until completely coated. Cover and marinade overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 325° F.

3. Heat the whole spices in pan over medium heat until they are fragrant and are just beginning to darken. Grind with a mortar and pestle (or in a coffee grinder or blender) with the dried chilies.

4. Heat oil in Dutch oven (or other heavy, oven-safe pot with a lid) over medium heat. Add onion and chili and then all of the spices. (Yes, I mean all of them!) Cook until fragrant, about 10 min.

5. Add tomato puree, lamb, bay leaf, mix, and then add enough water to fully cover. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil.

6. Cover the pot and place it in the preheated oven for 2 hours.

7. Taste and adjust salt and spiciness, if necessary.

8. Garnish with cilantro and mint and serve with rice, naan, or chapatti.