Lamb Rogan Josh is definitely one of my favourite curries, whether I’m making it at home or getting it in takeaway form. I love the vibrant mix of spices and the melt-in-your mouth lamb, but I also love it because it is really simple to make – or at least my version is!
As you may well have gathered from my blog, I am a big fan of curry. I love making it, I love eating it and I really love sharing my curry recipes on the blog. In fact, two of the most popular recipes on my blog are for curries: Roast Chicken Leftovers Curry and my Easy Chicken Korma.
Today I want to share with you my Lamb Rogan Josh and on Thursday I will be sharing my recipe for Easy Peasy Pilau Rice, which would go brilliantly with any of my curry recipes, but goes especially well with my Easy Lamb Rogan Josh.
Lamb Rogan Josh is definitely one of my favourites curries, whether I’m making it or getting it in takeaway form (I love cooking, but I do like to take a break occasionally!). It’s also my husband’s favourite curry…in fact it was him who first introduced me to it.
I like it because it is not hot (I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to curry, I can’t cope with anything above a medium and sometimes even medium is a bit too much!), but it is full of flavour and I am a total sucker for slow cooked lamb in any form. I also love it because it is really simple to make (or at least my version is!).
My recipe for Rogan Josh is adapted from a recipe I found in Rick Stein’s India
…I love Rick Stein’s India, because to make it Rick actually went to India and found out what they really make over there (as opposed to the anglicised versions we often get over here). Consequently his recipes are really authentic, but also often a bit complicated and they often involve hard to get ingredients.
So, I set about simplifying his recipe, using fewer ingredients, fewer processes and only things I could get in my local supermarket. My husband was a very willing guinea pig for my experiments 🙂
The result is delicious (it passed the husband test, you’ll be pleased to hear), but above all simple: fry an onion, add some garlic and spices, add a tin of tomatoes then bung it all in the oven for 1hour and 15mins. Simples! (as those ever so slightly annoying meercats might say).
Don’t be alarmed by the number of spices…Yes, it does involve buying a few extra things at the supermarket, but actually putting them in the curry is a doddle…it’s just a case of measuring them out and tipping them in and the result is so worth it!
Do you like my new red pan, by the way? I got it from Waitrose – it’s kind of like a Le Creuset pan (it’s enamel coated cast iron), but with a much smaller price tag. (It cost £40, a similar one from Le Creuset
would cost and eye-watering £180!). It’s awesome and I would really recommend getting one if you don’t have one already.
I love it because I can use it to make things like this Rogan Josh that start on the hob and then get popped in the oven to continue cooking. Before I got my new red pan, I would start things like stews and casseroles in a saucepan or frying pan and then have to tip it all into an oven dish to continue cooking. Not a major hassle, granted, but now, with my new pan, I have less washing up to do and it looks really pretty when I am serving up at the table. I think it may be popping up in a fair few photos on Easy Peasy Foodie over the coming weeks/months/years!! 🙂
My Lamb Rogan Josh is great served with plain basmati rice or why not try it with my Easy Peasy Pilau Rice? I will be sharing the recipe for my pilau rice with you on Thursday so stay tuned 🙂
Now, my husband would maintain that curry goes best with beer and I would probably agree with him in principle, but I don’t drink much beer these days, so I would choose a red wine to go with my Lamb Rogan Josh. I would go for something gutsy and robust…probably a Rioja Reserva or another similar Spanish wine…I’m really into wines from the Ribera del Duero at the moment…it’s a great place to get Rioja style wines at cheaper prices…I really like Tesco Finest Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Reserva which costs £7. It would go perfectly with this Rogan Josh!
Alternatively try a fruity Shiraz from South Africa or Australia. I really like this Zalze Shiraz/Mourvèdre/Viognier from Waitrose at the moment and it goes brilliantly with my Easy Lamb Rogan Josh!
Easy Lamb Rogan Josh
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or you can use butter or ghee, if you prefer)
- 1 large white onion sliced
- 5 cm stick cinnamon
- 6 cardamom pods bashed
- 4 cloves
- 3 garlic cloves grated finely or crushed
- 3 cm piece fresh ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 tablespoon cumin ground
- 1 tablespoon coriander ground
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 800 g lamb neck fillet chopped into 2cm pieces
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 ml water
- 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves chopped, plus extra for garnish
- Plain basmati or pilau rice to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a wide, deep saucepan or hob proof casserole dish and add the sliced onion, cinnamon stick, bashed cardamom pods and cloves. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until the onions have softened but are not brown.
- Add in the crushed garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala. Stir and fry uncovered on a low heat for 3 more minutes.
- Add in the chopped lamb and stir to coat the lamb in the spices. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes to allow the lamb to start cooking.
- Add in the tinned tomatoes, 100ml water and salt. Stir and bring to the boil.
- If you are using an ovenproof saucepan or casserole dish, simply pop the lid on and put it in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- If you are using a saucepan that cannot go in the oven (e.g. one with a plastic handle!), transfer the curry to an oven dish / Pyrex dish, put the lid on and pop it in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. (It gets an extra 5 minutes, as the oven dish will be cold, so will slow down the cooking process to begin with.)
- Don’t forget to make some rice 10-30 minutes (depending on your recipe) before the curry is due to come out of the oven.
- Just before serving the curry, add a large handful of coriander leaves to the curry and stir. Serve scattered with more coriander leaves and with some rice and a beer or a glass of red wine. Enjoy!
Notes
Fancy trying something new for Easter? Why not check out my other easy alternatives to traditional Easter lamb?
Pin Easy Lamb Rogan Josh for later
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Mandy says
This looks like an awesome recipe – yum! I love how you’ve simplified it to only include things you can get in your local supermarket. #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thank you Mandy. I love simplifying things. I try to recreate dishes with all of the flavour but less of the hassle 🙂 Eb x
Only Crumbs Remain / Angela says
My brother was shopping for some new kitchen equipment – pans etc- a while ago, I went to help him spend his money 😉 and suggested an enamel coated cast iron pan like your new one. He wasn’t totally convinced to start with but bought it anyway and apparently he hasn’t stopped using it he loves it that much now!
This sounds so easy to make, and the spices in your rogan josh must make it smell amazing as it cooks.
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Helping someone spend their money on kitchen equipment sounds like a lot of fun! Yep, my cast iron pan has been used practically every day since I got it…I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get one. It’s been something I’ve been umming and aahing about for years but never quite got round to it but then Mr G broke one of my oven dishes and then I was in Waitrose and I needed to make a tagine (as you do) and it just sort of happened! But I’m so glad I did…the only trouble is I don’t think I will be able to stop at one… Eb x
Corina says
I also love making my own curries and have made some fantastic Rick Stein recipes in the past. Luckily I now have a cupboard full of spices so I usually have the ones I need when I make curries but it can be intimidating for someone who isn’t used to it. Thanks so much for linking up with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Eb Gargano says
Haha! With a name like Searching for Spice it would surprise me if you DIDN’T have a cupboard full of spices. 🙂 I do too. My poor spice cupboard is overflowing and yet there are still so many I don’t have…! Thanks for commenting 🙂 Eb x
Intolerant Gourmand says
This looks absolutely delicious, I’m definitely going to be trying this recipe!! And if it passes the hubby test, you know it’s good – at least that’s how it works in my house! 🙂 #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Oh definitely! And if it passes the hubby and kiddy test then it’s really really good! They are the only people I can rely on to be 100% honest about my recipes – everyone else is too polite. Thank you for your kind comments and let me know how it goes if you try it 🙂 Eb x
Melissa Thompson says
I made this and it was delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again. Husband didn’t like the cinnamon in it ?so will leave that out next time. My children aged 16,14 and 3 all devoured it!! I added a red and green chilli to it too as we do like our curries a bit spicy ? x
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! I am so happy to hear this. Too bad about the cinnamon, but I am sure it will still taste good without (or maybe you could just sneak in a little bit, but don’t tell your husband and see if he notices 😉 ) Good to hear your kids loved it too! Eb 🙂
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
We don’t make curry enough…… Should really change that! This looks like a really straight forward and delicious recipe Eb….. I could quite happily eat the whole (very red) pan full.
I like the sound of it not being over hot too….. I’m with you on the wuss front!
Eb Gargano says
Oh you should definitely change that, Kate – sounds like a dreadful state of affairs 😉 Haha – glad it’s not just me who’s a wuss when it comes to curry! Thank you for your lovely kind comments. Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
I love lamb and it is a meat that we simply do not have often enough. This curry looks delicious x #CookOnceEatTwice
Eb Gargano says
Thank you, Kirsty. I really love lamb, especially when cooked slowly – like in this curry – sooo delicious! Eb x
Monika Dabrowski says
Such a gorgeous recipe, I find that dishes such as this one are even better the next day so I’d make a massive batch and take a break from cooking for a couple of days! #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Monika 🙂 Oh definitely this is one of those…it tastes fab the next day and freezes really well too! I love having little boxes of things like this in the freezer…it’s great to have a freezer full of healthy homemade ready meals!! Eb x
Corina Blum says
I love a lamb rogan josh too and this one looks and sounds fabulous! I would definitely make a big batch of it so I could eat the leftovers up later so thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Corina…it’s perfect for batch cooking…and like so many curries, the leftovers are even better 😀 Eb x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
I just love the colors in this dish. “The husband test”—love it! My hubster was not accustomed to exotic foods at all when he first met me, but he’s become downright ADVENTUROUS. And I LOVE the pan!! I always covet Le Creuset pots, but I just can’t swallow that price tag. I’ll have to check out Waitrose, now that my ancient workhorse Dutch oven is on its last legs. Rogan Josh is an all-time fave of mine, but I haven’t made it for the hubster yet. I have no doubt that he’ll agree it’s fabulous.
Eb Gargano says
It’s a very important test!! Second only to ‘The Kids Test’…if I like it and it passes those two tests it’s good enough to go on the blog 😀 Sadly I think Waitrose is only in the UK…but they do do fab Le Creuset imitation stuff on Amazon too…I do keep hoping Le Creuset will one day approach me to be a brand ambassador though 😉 Eb x
Mel says
Lamb Rogan Josh is THE curry my husband always picks when we are having Indian food. He absolutely loves it and yours sounds pretty quick and easy to make too! Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays.
Eb Gargano says
It’s a good one…sad that you can’t have it, but I make a mean chicken rogan too, which is super popular on my blog. Nearly always in my top 10!! Eb x
Holly says
Really want to try this recipe but to serve 20. What in your experience do you think I should do with the oven temp and cooking time? Thanks.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Holly! To be perfectly honest, I have never cooked this for 20, so I don’t 100% know what the implications would be. However, I can’t think of a good reason why cooking this for a large quantity should mean it needs a different oven temperature or cooking time. I think you would be fine sticking to the recipe. Let me know how it goes! Eb 🙂
Cynthia says
Hi Eb Gargano, Well I really want to let you know what a great Recipe for Lamb Rogan Josh turned out to be. I decided to make this dish for a family gathering this weekend, and like your Website says “easypeasyfoodie” is what it definitely is. Luckily I had all the Spice ingredients in my cupboard and bought some lamb leg steaks cut into 2cm pieces. It gave off a lovely spicy aroma whilst cooking, and after serving the dish up with Rice and Nanm bread, it was received with great comments about how delicious it tasted and everyone asked for 2nd servings. Needless to say this recipe will definitely be used again, and again.
So will be keeping my eye on your Website for further recipes to enjoy.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Cynthia! Thank you so much for this lovely comment… I am delighted to hear you and your family liked it so much! I always love it when I hear everyone wanted seconds – definitely a sign of a good recipe 😀 I’d love to hear what else you make from Easy Peasy Foodie! Eb 🙂
Carl Morgan says
I was given Dan Toombs the curry guy book for my birthday and I never bothered attempting to cook anything as it was all so complicated!! I tried this recipe tonight, and it’s very good! So glad a decent home cook curry doesn’t have to be so complicated! I did add a little extra tomato puree though.
Thank you
Eb Gargano says
Thanks for this lovely feedback… I am delighted to hear you liked it and found it easy to make! Eb 🙂
paul cunliffe says
I want to make the lamb rogan josh but am wondering what to do with 3cm of fresh ginger. Do I chop it small, do I grate finely or (no!) just chuck it in whole?
Eb Gargano says
Oh gosh, I am so sorry. That should say ‘grated’! I’ll get that fixed pronto. Thanks for letting me know about this omission. Hope you enjoy the curry! Eb 🙂