What better than a rich and tasty Indian curry for an evening meal?

Here's a simple, one pan recipe for a rogan josh lamb curry from the Jammu region of northern India. It uses madras curry paste, which is typically quite hot, but feel free to substitute a milder variety, such as korma if desired. This dish is served with cooked basmati rice, and if you want to save some time, this can be prepared ahead and simply re-heated in a microwave before serving. 

Rogan Josh Lamb Curry with Basmati Rice 

This recipe is for two main courses, but it can be easily adjusted to feed more. 

Ingredients  

• Two tablespoons of vegetable oil
• One small, finely chopped white or brown onion
• One clove of finely chopped garlic
• One teaspoon of finely chopped ginger
• One teaspoon of madras curry paste
• One teaspoon of mild paprika
• Half a stick of cinnamon*
• One teaspoon of cardamom powder
• One tablespoon of tomato purée
• Half a kilo of cubed, lean lamb
• Three quarters of a cup of water
• A third of a cup of plain yoghurt
• Two cups of cooked, hot basmati rice
• One tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

*The half cinnamon stick is used for flavor, and needs to be removed prior to serving. A handy hint is to tie a loop of cooking twine around it, so it is very easy to locate and remove from the pan. 

Method  

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook down the onion, stirring every now and then until it is soft and translucent.
• Add the garlic and ginger, and pan fry for 5 minutes.
• Add in the curry paste, all the spices and the tomato purée. Stir well for about 30 seconds
• Stir in the lamb and water, mixing well
• Turn down the heat and cover the pan before gently simmering for around 40 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce is nice and thick.
• Remove the cinnamon stick
• Stir in the yoghurt before spooning the curry over beds of cooked, hot basmati rice
• Garnish with the chopped parsley, and serve immediately

The rich and flavorsome spices in this curry make it a very popular favorite, both at home in India and in Indian restaurants all over the world. It freezes very well (without the rice), and if stored securely in an airtight container, it will remain perfect for up to five months. 

Beverage Suggestion Have some chilled water available, and perhaps combine this meal with a glass or two of medium dry white wine. If preferred, freshly squeezed orange juice also partners well with this dish. Enjoy!    

Another piece by 

paperback-writer

(Incorporated in Mogadishu, Somalia ... especially if I owe you money)