Rogan Josh Lamb Curry

Rogan Josh Lamb Curry
The kitchen now has the aroma of a Kashmir Rosai [kitchen].
The slow cooking in all those aromatic spices and vegetables made this lamb taste like exotic comfort food. I added some chickpeas with sauce for fibre and a simple butter basmati rice.
The first tastes were most delectable today but after it sits tonight, the flavours should be perfect for a delish dinner.

Ingredients

1 3 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and grate

8 large cloves garlic , mince

1 tsp. turmeric

4 tbs natural yoghurt

1 tsp crushed black peppercorns

1 kg quality lamb shoulder , cut into big cubes

4 medium size red onions , halved

2 red peppers , halved and deseeded

4 fresh red chillies , deseeded

bunch fresh coriander , leaves picked

6 green cardamom pods

6 whole cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 tbs coriander seeds

4 small dried red chillies

Ghee [clarified butter or coconut oil]

2 teaspoons paprika

2 large ripe tomatoes

400 g tinned chopped tomatoes

sea salt

To serve;

coconut shavings

½ bunch fresh mint

 

Method

Mix your ginger and garlic together. Put them in a bowl that’s big enough to fit all the cubed lamb in. Add the turmeric, yoghurt and black pepper to the bowl and mix together.

Tip the lamb into the bowl and stir it around until it’s well coated with the yoghurt and spices.

Cover and leave overnight in the fridge to marinate.

Preheat your oven to 325ºF.

Roughly chop the onions and peppers and whiz them in a food processor with 3 chillies and the coriander stalks until finely chopped. Finely slice the remaining chilli and set aside. Bash the cardamom pods and remove the seeds, discarding the shells. Place the heavy-based pan you’re going to cook the curry in on a medium heat and add the cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cumin and coriander seeds. Toast until they go a shade darker in colour, then tip into a pestle and mortar and grind up with the dried red chillies (or use a spice grinder if you have one). Keep the pan on the heat and add a splash of ghee. Add the chopped onion, pepper and chilli paste from the food processor with the ground up spices and paprika. Cook over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes.

By now, lots of delicious curry smells will be coming out of the pot. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the pan with the tinned tomatoes, and the marinated lamb, then stir well. When the curry comes to the boil, add a good pinch of salt, cover tightly with a lid and place in your preheated oven.

When the curry comes to the boil, add a good pinch of salt, cover tightly with a lid and place in your preheated oven.
You can basically forget about it now, as all the hard work is done.
Just wait 2.5 hours.
Be carefull when removing from the oven.