How To Make Rogan Josh by Vivek Singh of Cinnamon Club
Learn to make an authentic Rogan Josh from Vivek Singh, Executive Chef of the renowned Cinnamon Club in London. This iconic Kashmiri curry combines succulent meat with a complex blend of warm spices, tomatoes, and aromatic ingredients to create a deeply flavourful dish. The slow cooker method makes this elegant restaurant-quality curry achievable at home, with minimal effort and maximum flavour development. Perfect for entertaining or a special weeknight dinner, Rogan Josh pairs beautifully with basmati rice or warm naan bread
Watch: How To Make Rogan Josh by Vivek Singh of Cinnamon Club
Original recipe video — click to play
Original method: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Main
- 800 g lamb or beef, diced, cut into 4 cm chunks
Shoulder or leg cuts work well
Aromatics
- 400 g onions, finely sliced
- 6 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 20 g ginger, fresh, minced or grated
Base
- 400 g tomatoes, canned, crushed or chopped
One tin
- 150 ml natural yoghurt, plain
Spices
- 1 ½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 4 pods cardamom pods, green, bruised
- 4 whole cloves, whole
- 2 leaves bay leaves, whole
- 1 stick cinnamon stick, whole
- 1 ½ tsp chilli powder, Kashmir, ground
Mild and aromatic variety
- ½ tsp turmeric powder, ground
Cooking
- 3 tbsp oil or ghee, vegetable or clarified butter
- 300 ml stock, lamb or vegetable, hot
Reduced for slow cooker to prevent wateriness
Seasoning
- 1 tsp salt, to taste
Adjust as needed
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Garnish
- 25 g coriander, fresh, chopped leaves
Add in final 30 minutes of cooking
- 10 g mint, fresh, chopped leaves(optional)
Add at the end for garnish
Method
- 1
Heat the oil or ghee in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the diced meat on all sides until golden. This develops depth of flavour. Transfer to your slow cooker.
~15 minsTip: Do not skip this step; browning creates the foundation of flavour
- 2
In the same pan, add the sliced onions and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger, stirring constantly for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
~8 minsTip: Build flavour through proper caramelisation
- 3
Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon stick to the pan. Dry toast the spices for 1 minute, stirring frequently, to release their essential oils.
~2 minsTip: Toasting spices enhances their flavour
- 4
Add the Kashmir chilli powder and turmeric powder, stirring well to coat all ingredients. Cook for 1 minute.
~1 minTip: Prevent burning by not cooking powdered spices too long
- 5
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and yoghurt, mixing well. Add the hot stock.
~3 minsTip: Combine all wet ingredients thoroughly
- 6
Pour the entire contents of the frying pan into the slow cooker with the browned meat. Stir well to combine. Add the bay leaves.
~2 mins - 7
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 5 hours, until the meat is very tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
~8 hrsTip: Low setting produces the most tender, deeply flavoured result
- 8
In the final 30 minutes of cooking, taste and adjust salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh chopped coriander.
~1 minTip: Fresh herbs added late preserve their vibrant colour and flavour
- 9
Serve hot, garnished with fresh mint if desired. Accompany with steamed basmati rice or warm naan bread.
~5 minsTip: Remove whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves) before serving if preferred
Nutrition
Detailed nutritional information is coming soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Beef chuck or brisket are excellent alternatives to lamb. Both will require similar cooking times on the slow cooker. The resulting curry will be equally delicious, just with a slightly different flavour profile
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