Kashmiri Rogan Josh
Lamb braised low with kashmiri chili, fennel, and dried ginger — deep red, no tomato.
Ingredients
- 800 g Lamb shoulder
- 200 g Yogurt
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 1 Onion
- 30 g Ginger
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 4 Green cardamom pods
- 2 Black cardamom pods
- 4 Whole cloves
- 3 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 tsp Fennel seeds
- 2 tsp Ground coriander
- ½ tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 2 tsp Salt
- 240 g Basmati rice
- 2 Bay leaves (optional)
- 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing) (optional)
Method
- Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear, then cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Slice the onion thin.
- Whisk the yogurt smooth and let it come to room temperature.
- Melt the ghee in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Bloom the cinnamon, green and black cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the onion. Cook 10 minutes until deep brown.
- While the onion browns, cut the lamb into 4 cm chunks (bone-in best for flavor). Pat dry.
- While the onion browns, grate the ginger and garlic into a paste.
- While the onion browns, toast the fennel seeds 30 seconds in a dry pan. Grind to a powder (mortar or spice grinder).
- Add the lamb. Brown all over on high heat, 8 minutes.
- Reduce heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the asafoetida. Cook 3 minutes.
- Stir in kashmiri chili, ground fennel, coriander powder, turmeric, and a splash of water. Cook 1 minute.
- Off heat (or very low), whisk in the yogurt one spoonful at a time so it doesn't split. Return to heat once incorporated.
- Add enough water to almost cover and season with salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and braise on low 90 minutes until the lamb pulls apart easily. Stir every 20 min.
- Uncover. Reduce 5 minutes if the sauce is loose. Sprinkle garam masala and stir through.
- Rest 5 minutes off heat. Serve with basmati rice or naan.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Kashmiri Rogan Josh
Kashmiri Rogan Josh is one of the defining slow-braised lamb curries of the Kashmiri table, and this version stays true to that austere, aromatic tradition rather than the tomato-and-cream renditions common elsewhere. Its signature deep red color comes not from tomato — there is none — but from Kashmiri chili, which lends vivid color and warmth without fierce heat. The spicing leans on fennel and dried ginger, the flavors most associated with the region's rogan josh, along with whole warm spices bloomed in ghee at the start to perfume the fat. A base of slowly browned onions and a smooth yogurt braise give the gravy its body.
Eaten, it's rich, gently spiced, and profoundly savory, the lamb shoulder braised low over more than two hours until it yields and its collagen thickens the sauce into something glossy and deep. Bone-in chunks are worth using for the extra flavor they lend the braise. Because it's a special-occasion, low-and-slow dish, it rewards patience and tastes even better reheated the next day, once the spices settle. Serve it in the classic way with steamed rice or warm bread to soak up the crimson gravy, ideally as the centerpiece of a larger meal.
Kashmiri Rogan Josh: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Kashmiri Rogan Josh?
A serving has about 995 calories — 42.2g protein, 67.4g carbs, 62.3g fat, 8.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 42.2g of protein, roughly 17% of its calories.
Is Kashmiri Rogan Josh gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Kashmiri Rogan Josh has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Kashmiri Rogan Josh dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Yogurt, Ghee. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Kashmiri Rogan Josh take to make?
About 130 minutes start to finish, but only around 34 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Kashmiri Rogan Josh?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out bay leaves, asafoetida (hing) — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Kashmiri Rogan Josh make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.