This rogan josh slowly braises lamb until tender in a fragrant sauce of yogurt, ghee, fennel and dried ginger. Serve it with basmati rice, which soaks up the light, aromatic sauce beautifully.
Rogan josh is a well-known stew from Kashmir, but there isn’t just one standard version. Recipes vary by region, community and cook: some use onion or garlic, while others leave them out. The red color is also achieved in different ways, for example with Kashmiri chili powder or a local coloring agent. This version sticks to chili powder and skips the tomatoes, letting the yogurt and spices define the sauce.
Fennel and dried ginger give the curry its distinctive warm, slightly anise-like aroma. Kashmiri chili powder is mostly for color and mild heat; it’s generally less hot than many other chili powders. If you don’t have any, replace it with mild paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper. The color and heat may turn out a little different. Asafoetida, also called hing, adds a savory note. Use only a small pinch.
Leg of lamb or lamb shoulder are good cuts for this long braise: the connective tissue softens as it simmers and gives the sauce body. Cut the meat into generous pieces so it doesn’t fall apart too quickly. The yogurt is added to the pan a little at a time and incorporated over low heat. Yogurt can split at high heat, so take the pan off the heat briefly if needed and stir well as you add it. After that, a gentle braise does the work. If needed, let the sauce reduce a little at the end without a lid.
Full-fat yogurt makes a richer sauce and is generally more stable than low-fat yogurt. If you don’t have ghee, use clarified butter or a neutral oil, though this will change the flavor a little. Dried ginger isn’t simply a substitute for fresh ginger here: it has a drier, more intense flavor. Stick to the amount listed, and don’t automatically add fresh ginger as well.
Serve the rogan josh with basmati rice or flatbread, so the spiced sauce stays in the starring role. Rice is handy if you want to make the whole meal using just one frying pan and one saucepan; flatbread is great for scooping up the sauce. A simple, refreshing bowl of cucumber or some plain yogurt can be served alongside, but neither is needed in the stew itself. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a sealed container and reheat them thoroughly later, gently over low heat, with a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.
Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs mostly clear. Set aside while you prepare the curry.
Heat the ghee in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon, green and black cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the cumin seeds and asafoetida and stir briefly.
Add the lamb to the pan and brown it on all sides, about 8 minutes. Work in two batches if needed so the meat browns well instead of steaming.
Turn the heat to low. In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the ground fennel, dried ginger, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric and salt. Stir this mixture into the meat a little at a time. Keep the pan over low heat and keep stirring until the yogurt, ghee and meat juices form a smooth sauce.
Pour in the hot water and bring gently to a simmer. Cover the pan and let the meat simmer over low heat for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Stir occasionally; add a splash of water if the sauce thickens too quickly. The meat is ready when tender and the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened.
Toward the end, cook the rice: put the rinsed rice in a saucepan with 450 ml water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and cook covered for 10–12 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.
Taste the curry and adjust the salt. If the sauce is still thin, let it simmer gently uncovered for a few minutes to reduce. Serve the rogan josh with the rice.
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