Lamb Roganjosh

Don't be deterred by the number of spices in Vikram Sunderam's recipe. Once you've assembled them, the chef of Rasika's Indian lamb stew takes no more time to make than an ordinary stewed meat dish. But it's so much more mouth-watering.

Serves four.

2 pounds stewing lamb cut into 1-inch cubes
30 ounces onion, peeled and finely sliced
30 ounces fresh tomatoes
4 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 ounce fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 ounce garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 cup natural yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 teaspoon garam masala powder (available at Indian markets)
1 cup vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Peel and slice the onions. Boil the tomatoes in water that covers them until soft to the point of a knife and blend to a fine paste, then set aside.

Blend the ginger and garlic to a fine paste with three tablespoons of water.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or casserole over medium-high heat, add the whole spices and let them crackle. Add the onions, lower the heat to medium and sauté until golden brown. Then carefully add the ginger and garlic paste (it will spit), and sauté until it changes color, turning gold, about one minute.

Carefully add the tomato purée, lower the heat and simmer until it thickens and the oil separates from the sauce. Add the powdered spices, sauté until they are blended into the sauce, then add the whisked yogurt. Add the lamb, salt to taste, cover the pot and let it simmer for 45 minutes. If the sauce sticks to the pot, add a little water to loosen.

When the lamb is tender to a fork, add the garam masala and stir well. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or julienne strips of peeled fresh ginger. Serve with naan (Indian bread) or boiled basmati rice.

This recipe first appeared in the NorthWest Current. Photo courtesy Vikram Sunderam. 

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