Indian cuisine has always seemed too mysterious for me to tackle in the kitchen. Although it is among my favorites, for all of the wonderful spices used and the in-depth richness in everything I’ve tasted. In an attempt to learn to cook with more spice, I picked up “Anjum’s New Indian” by Anjum Anand, per the suggestion of epicurious.com’s best cookbook’s of 2010, made my way to the Indian market for said spices, and started cooking. Here is a classic curry lamb dish, originally of Kashmir, but straightforward version that is simple to prepare and uber delicious. I also made a raita (for a balance of tang) to serve alongside.
Ingredients for Roganjosh:
3-4 tbsp of vegetable oil
7 black peppercorns
2 brown cardamom pods
5 green cardamom pods
3 cloves
2 in piece of cinnamon stick
1 blade of mace (ground mace can also be added with the ground spices as an alternative)
2 tsp of ground coriander
2 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp pure red chili powder
2 tsp of powdered fennel seeds
1 1.2 tsp of garam masala
salt, to taste
1 large onion
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 inch of fresh ginger
2 medium-large tomatoes, pureed
3 tbsp of plain yogurt
handful of fresh cilantro leaves and stalks, chopped
½ lb of cubed lamb (leg meat, preferably), 1 lb lamb shank (separate the meat from the bone ¾ of the way down the bone, and tie with twine, folding the lamb meat at the bottom of the bone)
Ingredients for Raita:
1 small red onion, diced
1 medium cucumber, small diced
1 handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tbsp of raita masala (I like this brand)
2 ½ cups of plain yogurt (fat content is up to you)
salt & pepper to taste
To Prepare the raita:
Add all ingredients until all well integrated. Allow to sit in the refrigerator to continue marinating. Should be ready almost immediately.
To Prepare the Roganjosh:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast iron dutch oven. Add the whole spices and fry them until they are sizzling. Add the onion and cook until they are golden (should be around 8 to 10 minutes). Add the lamb, and sear on all sides until brown.
In a blender, make a paste with the ginger and garlic, using water to bind. Add this mixture to the pan. Lower the heat and continue to cook for two minutes, until you can smell the aromas of the ginger and the garlic. Stir in all of the powdered spices, salt and the pureed tomatoes. Continue to cook this down, and allow this to reduce until you see oil droplets at the bottom of the pan (about 20 minutes). Continuously stir as it reduces and thickens. If this thickens too quickly, feel free to add boiled/hot water.
Add enough hot water to almost cover the lamb and bring this to a boil. Bring the heat down and simmer until the meat is very tender (30-45 minutes). The gravy should be creamy at this point. Add the yogurt (pre stirred well so there aren’t any lumps in the curry), and continue to stir. Before serving, add fresh chopped herbs.
Serve over steamed basmati rice and a side of raita.
