Lamb Rogan Josh

Consistently my father’s favourite of all my curry potjie recipes, and needless to say I also love it otherwise it would be pretty silly to have it in my book. Rogan Josh is pronounced as it’s written so you can confidently tell your guests what you are making and what they are being served. What makes this one special is that it’s made with lamb, that the sauce does not get any tomato, and that the creaminess comes in the form of yoghurt that is added little by little.

WHAT YOU NEED

(Feeds 4)

800 g boneless leg of lamb
2 tots olive oil
2 onions
6 garlic cloves
ginger, half in volume to the garlic
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
6 green cardamom pods
6 whole black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tot paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup plain yoghurt
½ cup water
fresh coriander

WHAT TO DO

Cut the lamb meat into cubes. Heat the oil in a potjie on the fire. Add the meat cubes and fry them over high heat for a few minutes until they get a nice brown colour.
Chop the onions. Crush and chop the garlic and grate the ginger. Add the onions to the pot and fry for another 5 minutes until they are translucent. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, peppercorns, cloves, garlic and ginger and fry for another minute or two.
Now add the ground coriander, cumin, paprika, chilli powder and salt and mix everything together. The mixture might be fairly dry at this point. Stir right to the bottom and loosen any sticky bits with the spoon. If you’re struggling, you can add a small dash of water to help you scrape loose everything sticking to the bottom of the pot. As soon as you’re done, go to the next step.
Add the yoghurt bit by bit while stirring continuously to mix it well into the dish.
Now add the water, and stir. Bring to the boil, then cover with the lid and gently simmer over low heat for about an hour until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced to form a rich gravy. If your fire is too hot, the gravy will reduce too quickly and become a burnt paste, which would be a tragedy. Watch the heat carefully and stir a few extra drops of water into the pot if really necessary.
Take the pot off the fire and serve with fresh coriander leaves and the sides and sambals of your choice