The BEST Restaurant Style Lamb Rogan Josh
by B's Bites
This restaurant-style lamb rogan josh delivers the rich, warming curry you love from your local Indian takeaway. Unlike traditional Kashmiri versions, this recipe focuses on creating that comforting, meaty gravy with beautifully tender lamb that falls apart with a spoon. Cooked low and slow in the slow cooker, the spices infuse deeply whilst the meat becomes impossibly tender. Serve alongside quick pickled red onions and a refreshing cucumber and mint raita for a complete, restaurant-quality meal at home
Watch: The BEST Restaurant Style Lamb Rogan Josh
Original recipe video — click to play
Original method: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Lamb Rogan Josh
- 800 g lamb shoulder, diced, cut into 4 cm cubes
Shoulder is ideal for slow cooking as it becomes very tender
- 400 g onions, sliced
Approximately 3 large onions
- 4 garlic cloves, minced, finely minced
- 15 g fresh ginger, minced, finely minced
- 45 ml tomato paste
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
For colour and mild heat; adjust to taste
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 300 ml beef or lamb stock
Reduced quantity for slow cooker to prevent watery curry
- 400 g canned tomatoes
One tin, roughly chopped
- 30 ml vegetable oil
For browning the lamb
- to taste salt and black pepper
- 15 g fresh coriander, chopped, roughly chopped
Add in final 30 minutes of cooking
Fresh herbs added late to preserve colour and flavour
Quick Pickled Red Onion
- 150 g red onion, thinly sliced
Prepare whilst curry cooks
Approximately 1 medium onion
- 60 ml red wine vinegar or rice vinegar
Prepare whilst curry cooks
- 8 g caster sugar
Prepare whilst curry cooks
- ½ tsp salt
Prepare whilst curry cooks
Cucumber and Mint Raita
- 200 ml Greek yoghurt
Assemble just before serving
- 150 g cucumber, grated or finely diced
Assemble just before serving
- 10 g fresh mint leaves, chopped, finely chopped
Assemble just before serving
- to taste salt and black pepper
Assemble just before serving
Method
- 1
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, brown the diced lamb on all sides until golden brown, approximately 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned lamb to your slow cooker.
~15 minsTip: Browning develops deep flavour; do not skip this step
- 2
In the same frying pan, soften the sliced onions over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until they begin to turn translucent.
~5 mins - 3
Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
~1 min - 4
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring well. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, Kashmiri chilli powder, and garam masala. Cook for a further 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the spices are fragrant and well combined.
~4 minsTip: Cooking the spices blooms their flavour
- 5
Add the canned tomatoes and stock to the pan. Stir well to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
~2 mins - 6
Pour the entire mixture into the slow cooker with the browned lamb. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
~2 mins - 7
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 5 hours. The lamb should be very tender and easily break apart with a spoon.
~5 hrsTip: Low cooking is preferable for maximum tenderness and flavour development
- 8
About 30 minutes before the end of cooking time, stir in the fresh chopped coriander.
~1 minTip: Adding herbs late preserves their bright colour and fresh flavour
- 9
Whilst the lamb cooks, prepare the quick pickled red onion. Place the thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, caster sugar, and salt. Pour over the onion slices and leave to pickle for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
~20 minsTip: Can be made up to 4 hours ahead
- 10
To make the cucumber and mint raita, combine the Greek yoghurt, grated cucumber, and chopped mint in a small bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well and chill until ready to serve.
~10 minsTip: Assemble as close to serving as possible to keep it fresh and cool
- 11
Taste the finished curry and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve the lamb rogan josh in bowls, topped with the pickled red onion and accompanied by the cucumber and mint raita. Serve with basmati rice or Indian bread if desired.
~5 minsTip: The raita provides cooling contrast to the warming spices
Nutrition
Detailed nutritional information is coming soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Lamb shoulder is ideal for the slow cooker as it becomes very tender and breaks apart easily, but lamb neck fillet or even beef chuck steak work well too. Avoid lean cuts like lamb loin as they can become dry. The general rule is to use tougher cuts with more connective tissue, as the slow cooker's gentle heat transforms them into meltingly tender meat
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