Lamb Rogan Josh-style Kashmiri slow-cooked lamb

Ingredients

Lamb

• 800 g lamb shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric

Sauce

• 3 tbsp ghee (or vegetable oil)
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 200 ml lamb stock (or water)
• 1 tsp garam masala

To finish

• Fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1. Brown. Pat lamb dry. Season with salt + turmeric. Heat ghee in a heavy pan. Brown lamb in batches, 2 minutes per side. Remove.
2. Aromatics. Add onions to the same pan. Fry 10 minutes until deep golden. Add garlic + ginger, 1 minute.
3. Spice. Stir in all ground spices + bay + cardamom. Bloom 30 seconds.
4. Build. Add tomatoes and stock. Return lamb to pan. Bring to a simmer.
5. Slow cook. Cover. Transfer to oven at 160°C, 2 hours. Or simmer on hob, 2 hours. Lamb should be fall-apart.
6. Finish. Skim fat off the top. Stir in garam masala. Top with coriander.

Tips

• Kashmiri chilli is the key. Not hot, just deep red. Don’t sub generic chilli powder.
• Brown the lamb hard. Maillard = flavour.
• Two hours minimum. Lamb needs time. Don’t rush it.