Rogan Josh

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/3 cup ghee
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Method

1. 1

   Pat the lamb cubes dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt.

2. 2

   Heat the ghee and vegetable oil in a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves, and fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   1:00 · Toast whole spices
3. 3

   Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

   12:00 · Brown onions
4. 4

   Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   1:00 · Cook garlic and ginger
5. 5

   Add the Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, ground coriander, and ground fennel. Stir constantly and cook until the spices darken slightly, about 1 minute.

   1:00 · Toast ground spices
6. 6

   Add the lamb cubes and stir to coat evenly in the onion-spice mixture, searing on all sides, about 5 minutes.

   5:00 · Sear lamb
7. 7

   Reduce heat to low and stir in the yogurt one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition to prevent curdling.

8. 8

   Add the salt and water, and bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

9. 9

   Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is fork-tender, about 90 minutes.

   1:30:00 · Simmer curry
10. 10

    Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to coat the lamb, 10 to 15 minutes.

    10:00 · Reduce sauce
11. 11

    Remove the bay leaves and whole cinnamon stick if desired, stir in the garam masala, and taste and adjust salt as needed.

12. 12

    Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with basmati rice or naan.