Lamb Rogan Josh
A Kashmiri-style lamb curry: tender chunks of lamb simmered in a deep red, aromatic gravy of yogurt, warm whole spices, ginger and mild chile — rich and fragrant rather than fiery.
Nutrition per serving
about 1 cup- Net carbs
- 4.4g
- Calories
- 498kcal
- Protein
- 38g
- Fat
- 35g
- Total carbs
- 6.1 g
- Fiber
- 1.8 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Goat curry: Goat is cooked this way all over South Asia. It is leaner than lamb, with a deeper flavor, and needs a longer simmer to turn tender.
- Simmer covered 2–2½ hours, adding a splash of water if the gravy gets too thick, until the goat is fork-tender.
Dairy-free: Coconut cream and a squeeze of lemon replace the yogurt marinade, and avocado oil stands in for the ghee.
- Marinate the lamb with the coconut cream, lemon juice and salt, and cook the spices and onion in the avocado oil. Everything else stays the same.
- Lamb
- Curry base
- To finish
- Nice to have (optional)
- Lamb
- Curry base
- To finish
- Nice to have (optional)
- Lamb
- Curry base
- To finish
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $29.39 for 6 servings ($4.90 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Toss the lamb with the yogurt and salt in a bowl and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature (or up to overnight in the fridge).
-
Heat the ghee in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and let them sizzle 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown.
-
Stir in the garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat, add the chili powder, cayenne, cumin, coriander and fennel and stir for 30 seconds — off the heat so the paprika doesn't scorch — then stir in the tomato paste.
-
Return to medium-high heat, add the lamb with all its marinade and cook 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the yogurt has reduced and the ghee starts to separate at the edges.
-
Pour in the water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently 1¼–1½ hours, stirring now and then, until the lamb is very tender (far past the 145°F/63°C safe point). Uncover for the last 10–15 minutes to thicken the gravy.
-
Stir in the garam masala, taste for salt and remove the bay leaves. Serve with cauliflower rice, scattered with cilantro.
Tips for success
-
Kashmiri chili powder gives rogan josh its signature deep red color with only mild heat. If you can't find it, sweet paprika plus a little cayenne is a good stand-in. - Whisk the yogurt smooth and keep the heat moderate when you add it; very high heat can make it curdle.
- Bone-in lamb shoulder gives an even richer gravy. Add about 30 minutes to the simmer and weigh the meat without the bone for the nutrition.
Nice to have, not needed
- A Dutch oven or heavy-based pot keeps the onions from scorching — any lidded pot works if you stir more often.
- A pressure cooker cuts the simmer to about 25 minutes on high pressure with a natural release.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water, stirring, or microwave 2–3 minutes.
Prep tip: Freeze in portions with plenty of gravy and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Like most curries, it tastes even better the next day.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosGoat curry
ProteinGoat is cooked this way all over South Asia. It is leaner than lamb, with a deeper flavor, and needs a longer simmer to turn tender.
- boneless lamb leg or shoulder → goat meat
4.4 g net · 309 kcal · 42 g protein · 12 g fat · ≈$5.32 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Dairy-free
DietCoconut cream and a squeeze of lemon replace the yogurt marinade, and avocado oil stands in for the ghee.
- full-fat plain yogurt → coconut cream
- ghee → avocado oil
- + 1 tbsp lemon juice
4.2 g net · 516 kcal · 36 g protein · 38 g fat · ≈$4.80 per serving (−0.2 g net carbs vs the original)
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