Let's Make Lamb Rogan Josh

    One of Aary's favorite dishes is Rogan Josh, so it was a necessity for me to learn how to make it. Indian food has always seemed intimidating with the complexities of its flavors. However, once learning why certain things pair together and the history behind the food, you'll master it in no time! I absolutely love lamb, and it's very popular in India as beef is forbidden for Hindus. Originating in the area of Kashmir and dating back to the time of Mughal rule, Rogan Josh is rich with tomato and has a nice kick from the spice combination. Of course, you can't forget the fall-off-the-bone lamb, yum! Pair it with naan, roti, or rice and I can promise you that you'll love it!

Below are some tips and the ingredient list for Rogan Josh, keep scrolling and we'll start cooking! PS,  cooking with precise measurements is DUMB, but I estimated it because I love you all. 

• The longer you cook it = the better it tastes
• More ghee = more flavor 
• Yogurt and milk are optional, Aary prefers it without and I prefer it with 
• Lamb shoulder is best for tenderness
• MDH has an amazing ready-made spice mix that we love to use

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbsp ghee

2-3 diced tomatoes or tomato puree

1.5lb mutton/lamb

1 onion

4 garlic cloves

1 tbsp ginger

1.5 cups water or stock

MDH seasoning or individual spices:

1.5 tbsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

5 tsp cumin

5 tsp coriander

1.5 tsp garam masala

1/4 nutmeg

2 tsp turmeric

1 cinnamon stick or 2 tsp

3-4 cloves

5 cardamom

    Cooking this dish isn't very hard if I'm honest with you all. Saute some stuff, mix some stuff, let it simmer, and BAM it's done! I don't want this to feel like a cooking blog because that is far from what this is, so I'm breaking up the instruction by talking, similar to my actual life. Now, in my Tiktok video cooking this, I sear the lamb first and then let it cook in the sauce, but Aary and I fought over that for probably close to 2 hours. I've marinated the lamb before and cooked it without searing it and it's come out the same either way, so you choose. 

     1.  Sear the lamb in ghee 

     2.  Add in onion and cook until golden

     3.  Add in tomatoes

     4. Remove lamb and set aside

5. Add in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant

    It's smart to keep the basic Indian food ingredients in your house if you plan on cooking more Indian food. I would recommend turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, cardamom, garlic, and ginger paste. More times than not you will be using some of these spices or all of them in different ways depending on the dish! A masala dabba, or spice box, holds the key spices that you use in everyday cooking. These have been around in many cultures for hundreds of years. Usually, they're steel with a clear or solid top, but nowadays you can get cute ones with designs! (hint for Aary to buy me a new one)

     6.  Stir in the spices and mix for a few seconds 

     7.  Add water/ chicken stock

     8.  Finally add the lamb back in and bring to a light simmer

     9. Cover the pot and let rest for anywhere from 2-4 hours

    See how easy that was? Basically, no prep time and the cooking time is essentially just letting it cook on its own. My recommended ways. of staying busy while this is cooking is watching our youtube video (wink wink) or turning on an SRK movie and annoying Aary. I'm typing this out and my mouth is watering thinking about the lamb falling off the bone... maybe I'll steal the leftovers for lunch. Do any other couples fight over leftovers when it's a really good meal? It's definitely an issue in our house... oops! 

     10. Remove lid (duh) and garnish with yogurt/milk if wanted 

     11. Serve with roti or naan (preferred) and enjoy!

Here’s theLamb Rogan Josh I made last night for dinner. Not sure if you can see the crumb of the naan I ate while waiting for this to cook…. 

    Learning how to cook Indian food by myself has been an interesting challenge. I don't have my mother-in-law to teach me any of the family recipes so instead I've taken the time to research and befriend some amazing chefs. I've found that sharing my experience no matter the circumstance can help others, so no matter who you are and what your reason for learning is, I hope this helped. There is a youtube video of myself cooking Chana Masla, a chickpeas curry, and it's very detailed! I also have a handful of TikTok videos with recipes as well that I am thinking I should share here as well. 

    Try a new food, explore a new culture, find joy in something that is different and new!