30 Minute Lamb Rogan Josh

Spicy, rich and so simple! This 30 minute Lamb Rogan Josh can be whipped up in only 30 minutes and is packed full of flavour. This recipe will probably feature in a book I'm currently writing but I wanted to let you give it a try first, before it goes to print. You might also like to try it with this over this Easy Basmati Rice.

About this Lamb Rogan Josh recipe:

The inspiration behind this recipe is simple and it started with a challenge - Can I develop a Lamb Rogan Josh recipe that can be made quicker than ordering it from a takeaway, with no base sauce and starting with raw chicken?

The recipe is done in stages. First you fry your meat, then caramelize your blended onions and add passata to create that amazing sauce. Then you throw it all together, finishing off your sauce with yoghurt to create that deliciously thick sauce.

You can do all of the cooking in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Although it looks like there are a lot of ingredients in this 30 minute lamb rogan josh, it took me less than 5 minutes to get all of these prepared. You can make this curry in stages to make it easier on yourself. For example, fry up the meat a day earlier or just add pre-cooked leftover meat. If cooking all in the same day, be sure to get all your ingredients prepared and ready before you start cooking. It's a lot easier that way.

• Lamb leg meat
• Onions, blended
• Cashews, blended to a oaste
• Fresh tomatoes or passata
• FOR THE CURRY
• Rapeseed (canola) oil
• Cinnamon stick
• Green cardamom pods
• Cloves
• Blended onions
• Garlic and ginger paste
• Smoked or unsmoked paprika
• Kashmiri chilli powder
• Garam masala
• Ground cumin
• Ground coriander
• The blended cashews
• The Blended tomatoes
• Tomatoes, quartered
• Plain natural yoghurt
• Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• Coriander (cilantro)
• Red onion to garnish

See recipe card for quantities.

What cut of lamb do I need to use?

It is important to use lamb leg meat for this 30 minute recipe as you will only be cooking it for a short amount of time. To ensure the meat is tender you need to use lamb leg meat. Any other cut will not be suitable for this quick recipe as it will need to be slow cooked.

Substitutions

For the authentic Lamb Rogan Josh flavors, I recommend using the ingredients above and in the recipe card below. However, if you have some ingredients you want to use up then here are some suggestions:

Vegetarian - Why not replace the lamb for cubed paneer? Simply follow the steps in this recipe and brown the paneer in the pan instead of the lamb.

Try beef - You could give some new life to your Sunday roast leftovers or fry up some beef until tender and add it instead of the lamb.

Seafood - Prawns work really well in a Rogan Josh as does any meaty fish like cod, halibut or swordfish. When adding seafood, add it right at the end of cooking when your sauce is seasoned and cooked to your liking. If you add prawns too soon, they will overcook and become rubbery. Meaty fish will break apart when added too soon.

Equipment

You don't need any special equipment to make this 30 minute lamb rogan josh. I used a hot wok to show you can cook a great curry with whatever you have. That said, the best pans for hot curries and high-heat frying are a carbon steel wok, heavy-based frying pan, or a cast iron skillet — all hold heat well and give you that proper sizzle and flavour.

You will need a blender to blend the onions into a paste.

Storage

Fridge:
Store cooled rogan josh in an airtight container and eat within 2–3 days. Reheat on the hob or microwave until piping hot. Reheating on the hob (stove) is my preferred method. To do this, heat it up gently over a medium heat until hot.

Freezer:
Freeze cooled rogan josh in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or reheat from frozen on the hob or in the microwave until steaming hot.