Mutton Rogan Josh Recipe with step by step pictures. This Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh Recipe is made with Mutton and Masala. Succulent lamb cooked in a tangy red sauce.
Rogan Josh
I have heard about rogan josh before and tasted it in one of the restaurant i visited, but never thought of cooking it at home. Whenever I order it in restaurant here, then serve it just like normal curry, it is made using an onion tomato base. But i have heard that rogan josh needs no onion, garlic, tomato. It is made with plain yogurt and spice powders. One day a viewer requested it and i decided to give it a try.
Table of Contents
About Rogan Josh
I wanted to make it the authentic way and use only yogurt and spice powders. Luckily i had all the spices on hands specially black cardamom which i bought months back when i visited nuts and spices in chennai. It is a must spice because it gives the aroma and flavour to the dish.
What is Rogan Josh?
Rogan josh should be red in colour thats why it is called as rogan josh because once you finish making this curry the rogan the red oil should float on top of the curry. In the authentic recipe they add a root of a herb called as rattan jot which gives the red colour to it. The spices which are added in this curry is must because that what makes rogan josh, rogan josh.
Since I don't have that and it is difficult to find that for us. I suggest you to buy Kashmiri red chilli powder and add it in this curry which gives the red colour naturally. Some people will add a touch of saffron in this too. But I didn't add. I kept it plain and simple. This curry taste best when served with hot steamed rice, naan or paratha.
Similar Recipes,
Watch Lamb Rogan Josh Video
Rogan Josh Ingredients
Mutton | Lamb - Use young tender lamb pieces for making rogan josh, so it cooks faster and softer. You can try this with chicken as well. Make sure you use lamb with bone-in for better flavour.
Lemon Juice - this is added into the lamb with salt to remove the raw meat smell. it also helps tenderizing the meat.
Garam Masala Powder - added in the end to add a fresh spicy aroma to the dish.
Ghee | Clarified Butter - cooking the whole dish in ghee helps adds flavour and enhance the spices quality as well.
Whole Spices - cinnamon, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, ginger, pepper, asafoetida, fennel are the whole spices used in whole form as well as powdered form.
Curd | Plain Yogurt - use thick natural yogurt which has a slight tart taste to it which balance the taste.
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - In the authentic recipe they add a root of a herb called as rattan jot which gives the red colour to it. Since it is hard to find, I use kashmiri chilli powder for the colour.
How to make Rogan Josh at Home
Marinating Lamb
Take mutton in a bowl. Add salt and lemon juice. Mix well, leave it to marinate overnight or 2 hours or you can cook it straight away like i did.
Pre-preparation
Take curd in a bowl and whisk till it is smooth. Add in all the ingredients given for paste.Mix well and set aside.
Searing Lamb for Rogan Josh
Now heat ghee in a pot. Add in all the tempering ingredients and saute for a min. Add in mutton few at a time and brown the meat. This will take around 2 to 3 mins per batch. As the mutton browns remove it to a plate and continue with the next batch. When you are browning the last batch, add all the browned mutton in and let it all heat through.
Cooking Rogan Josh
Now add in the curd mix and mix well. Let this cook and brown for 10 mins. Add in water and mix well. Add more salt if needed. Now bring everything to a boil, cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours. Once it is cooked and the meat falls off the bone, turn off the heat and serve with rice or roti.
How to Make Rogan Josh (stepwise pictures)
Making Yogurt Marinate
1)Take thick yogurt in a bowl. This is the base for the gravy.
2)Add in Kashmiri chilli powder, this provides slight heat and bright red colour to the dish.
3)Add in crushed green cardamom. I slightly crushed them in my mortar and pestle.
4)Add in crushed black cardamom. This adds a slight smoky flavour.
5)I added some crushed cloves. Don't use too much cloves, it has to be subtle.
6)Add in ground ginger. This adds a spicy kick to the gravy.
7)Add in fennel seed powder. The fennel adds a sweet tone to the dish.
8)Finally add in the black pepper powder and mix well.
9)Make sure you add some salt into the marinate. This is your spicy marinate. Set this aside till needed.
Marinating Mutton (Lamb)
10)Take mutton pieces in a bowl. You should use bone-in mutton or lamb.
11)Add in lemon juice to the mutton pieces.
12)Season the lamb with salt.
13)Mix well and set this aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
Tempering Spices
14)For making rogan josh. Heat ghee in a deep pot. Let the ghee heat till it gets hot.
15)You can use oil instead of ghee but I recommend ghee for the flavour to the dish.
16)Add in whole spices and let them sizzle. I am using cinnamon, bay leaf.
17)Add in black cardamom and green cardamom.
18)Add in a good pinch of asafoetida.
19)This dish doesn't has onions or tomatoes so the aroma comes from the whole spices. Never skip on those.
20)Fry the whole spices in ghee till it is sizzled.
Browning the Lamb
21)Now add in the mutton or lamb in batches and let them fry and get brown.
22)This is what you are looking for, The meat should be seared well.
23)Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
24)repeat this in batches. Sear the meat and set aside.
25)Once the last batch is seared. Return all the seared meat into the pot.
Cooking Rogan Josh
26)Now add the meat back into the pot. Fry it so it gets heated through.
27)Add in the yogurt sauce into the lamb.
28)Mix it well so the yogurt is coated with the lamb.
29)Fry it on low for few minutes. so the spices gets coated well.
30)Add in garam masala powder.
31)Pour in little water so the lamb can get cooked.
32)Mix well.
33)Now bring everything to a boil, cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours.
34)Now the meat is completely cooked through. If you want to cook faster, you can cook in pressure cooker. Check below for details.
35)Serve rogan josh with paratha or roti.
Expert Tips
- Browning the meat imparts maximum flavours in rogan josh so take your time and sear it.
- Make sure you brown(sear) the meat in batches.
- Slowing cooking the meat till falls off the bone makes it so tasty.
- Make sure you adjust the water if you need so that the curry doesn't dry up.
- Making rogan josh takes time and needs patience.
Serving & Storage
Rogan Josh taste amazing with rice or roti. Some of the popular dishes which rogan josh is served are Kashmiri pulao, Garlic Naan, Coriander Naan, Roti or jeera rice.
Rogan josh can be stored in an air tight container in fridge and reheated in microwave or stove top as required.
Instant Pot Lamb Rogan Josh
- Place the insert inside the instant pot. Set mode to saute mode.
- Proceed cooking as mentioned in the recipe, but tempering whole spices and browning the meat.
- Once everything is combined. Cover the instant pot and set the mode to pressure cook and pressure cook for 10 mins on high. Let the instant pot release pressure on itself.
- Open the cooker and serve.
Pressure Cooker Rogan Josh
- Instead of cooking the whole thing in a pot for 2 hours.
- You can transfer the whole thing to a pressure cooker. Cook for 5 whistle, simmer the pot and cook for 15 mins.
- Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Open the cooker and mix well and
- serve.
FAQ
What ingredients are in a rogan josh?
Whole spices like green and black cardamom, cinnamon, dry red chillies, ghee, lamb are important in rogan josh.
What is rogan josh signature dish?
“Rogan” means “red” in Hindi, and “josh” refers to fiery or hot. So it is basically a lamb stew with a red oil floating on top.
What is rogan josh sauce made of?
Rogan josh consists of pieces of lamb or mutton braised with a gravy flavoured with garlic, ginger and aromatic spices (clove, bay leaves, cardamom, and cinnamon), and in some versions incorporating onions.
More Lamb Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe Card
Rogan Josh Recipe | Mutton Rogan Josh Recipe | Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 gram Lamb
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
For Tempering
- 5 tbsp Ghee / Clarified Butter
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 3 cm Cinnamon / Pattai
- 2 Black Cardamom crushed
- 4 Green Cardamom crushed
- ½ tsp Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya posi
For Masala Paste
- 1 cup Curd / Plain Yogurt
- 3 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Green Cardamom Powder powder 4 pods
- ½ tsp Black Cardamom Powder powder 2 pods
- 1 tbsp Fennel Seed Powder / Saunf / Sombu
- 1 tbsp Dry Ginger Powder / Chukku Podi
- 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
Instructions
- Take mutton in a bowl. Add salt and lemon juice. Mix well, leave it to marinate overnight or 2 hours or you can cook it straight away like i did.
- Take curd in a bowl and whisk till it is smooth. Add in all the ingredients given for paste.Mix well and set aside.
- Now heat ghee in a pot. Add in all the tempering ingredients and saute for a min.
- Add in mutton few at a time and brown the meat. This will take around 2 to 3 mins per batch. As the mutton browns remove it to a plate and continue with the next batch. When you are browning the last batch, add all the browned mutton in and let it all heat through.
- Now add in the curd mix and mix well. Let this cook and brown for 10 mins.
- Add in water and mix well. Add more salt if needed. Now bring everything to a boil, cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours.
- Once it is cooked and the meat falls off the bone, turn off the heat and serve with rice or roti.
Video
Notes
- Browning the meat imparts maximum flavours in rogan josh so take your time and sear it.
- Make sure you brown(sear) the meat in batches.
- Slowing cooking the meat till falls off the bone makes it so tasty.
- Make sure you adjust the water if you need so that the curry doesn't dry up.
- Making rogan josh takes time and needs patience.
How to Cook Rogan Josh in Pressure Cooker
- Instead of cooking You can add the whole thing in a pot for 2 hours.
- You can transfer the whole thing to a pressure cooker. Cook for 5 whistle, simmer the pot and cook for 15 mins.
- Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Open the cooker and mix well and serve.
How to Cook Rogan Josh in Instant Pot
- Place the insert inside the instant pot. Set mode to saute mode.
- Proceed cooking as mentioned in the recipe, but tempering whole spices and browning the meat.
- Once everything is combined. Cover the instant pot and set the mode to pressure cook and pressure cook for 10 mins on high. Let the instant pot release pressure on itself.
- Open the cooker and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Rogan Josh taste amazing with rice or roti. Some of the popular dishes which rogan josh is served are Kashmiri pulao, Garlic Naan, Coriander Naan, Roti or jeera rice.
Storage Suggestions
Rogan josh can be stored in an air tight container in fridge and reheated in microwave or stove top as required.
Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Catherine
I enjoy lamb and this is a new and exciting way you have demonstrated to prepare it. Thank you and blessings, Catherine
Maathuri
Mouth watering yummy😋😋😋
v shetty
Lovely Explanation in a step by step process. The dish was a big hit at home. Thanks to you 🙂
NIIT Chandigarh
thanks this makes my staureday Go... !! great job.Amitoz Dogra
shanu
Trying it for sure this weekend. Thanks a lot for step by step explanation 🙂
adiba khan
I coocked this mutton rogan Josh and its come out very tasty....thanks
adiba khan
I coocked this mutton rogan Josh and this come out very tasty...thanks for for recipy...
Anonymous
Thanks for the recipe, Aarthi..one question I have is that is the kashmiri lal mirch very spicy, or it just adds to the color in the dish?
Aarthi
@Anonymouskashmiri chilli powder is not that spicy, it just adds colour to the dish
Monjoy Pathak
Have prepared all the spices. Only thing missing is clove powder, is it absolutely necessary? Thanks.
Anonymous
Thanks Aarthi
Rajesh Kumar
Good recipe with nice presentation.Delicious and wonderful looking very nice and yummy..
chowringhee satya niketan
Anonymous
Is it necessary to add black cardamom
Anonymous
Hi, Love your blog.. I have never tried cakes. Your pictorial representation tempted and motivated me to try. And Indeed it was successful. I am a regular follower of your blog and facebook page.
2 question, here is it necessary to fry mutton, cant we just add it and cook it? Is it necessary to add black cardamom, what's the difference between green and black cardamom.
Aarthi
@Anonymousgreen and black are completely diff..You can skip that as well.
kant
Please donot use LAMB meat instead use GOAT meat. It will taste better.
Roshita
I tried rogan josh mutton recipe.really curry was awesome.the way ur presenting with snaps makes very easy to cook.all the best for ur future success.
Anonymous
I am thankfull to Ms. Aarthi, who posted this recipe.
First I have tried Mutton Rogan Josh in same manner as mentioned in recipe and It was my best recipe ever i made.
Second time i have tried same process just one change, I used chicken at place of Mutton and family liked in that manner also.
Thank you again
Sharnal Sequeira
Hii
My name is Sharnal
I am a practising chef and i came across your recipie and in that i saw u did not use saffron and onions onionsa will become the base of your gravy and the gravy u made only using curd will not be sufficient for a family of 4
Pushkaraj Pophalikar
Namaskar,
I was searching for an authentic Rogan Josh recipe. Most of the websites I found, apparently had variations of or something totally unrelated to the authentic recipe, and each different than the other. What you have presented here is the kind of well researched knowledge I was looking for. Thank you! You really have a nice blog.
Wish you all the best in everything! Have a lovely day.
- Pushkaraj Pophalikar
sho
you dint mentioned the clove powder, well in image mixing you showed clove powder
Varun
Does the recipe calls for 1/2kg or 1kg meat. M a bit confused with the meat ratio relative to the other ingredients. .
Aarthi
it is for 1/2 kg
Vikash Mishra
Wow!! amazing recipe for sure I am going to cook mutton rogan josh by following your instructions thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Mrschax
Aartihi,
How do you stop the yogurt from splitting?
It still tastes good but does stick as nicely to the mutton since the yogurt is split.
Mohit Atri
Mutton rogan josh looks delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Tarun
Didn't turn out well.. it was too spicy probably due to the high quantity of spices being added to 1/2 kg Mutton and 1 cup of Curd. You should probably check that.
Aarthi
You can actually reduce the chilli powder to your taste.