Big Nan's Traditional Indian Gosht (Lamb) Roganjosh Curry

 This is my Nan's recipe she brought over from India with her. Although, originally of British origin, due to travels of the British Empire my family settled in India for many years before returning to England in 1976. With them they brought the key to amazing, aromatic curries which are spicy but not hot. They have a lot of flavour but the whole family can enjoy them as they are not heavy on the Chilli, of course if you like it a bit hotter, just add a bit more chilli power to taste. They also brought over an array of 'Anglo-Indian' Curries and dishes which are neither English or Indian but something of a mix between the two. 

This curry is cooked slowly (it could be done in a slow cooker) but doesn't require a great deal of time or effort as it pretty much cooks itself. The slower cooking intensifies all of the flavours and helps to develop the thick sauce. There are quite a few ingredients, but they are easy to source, being stocked in most large supermarkets and once you have your curry kit, you, like me, will be addicted and will need to use it regularly!

Big Nan's Traditional Indian Gosht (Lamb) Roganjosh Curry

A knob of butter

2 Onions chopped

500g Cubed Lamb

4 tbsp Tomato Puree

4 Cloves Garlic crushed

4 New Potatoes in quarters

50g Fresh Ginger 

 (I use a micro grater to grate straight in, I didn't even peel. If you do want to peel, use a  teaspoon to scrape the skin off, it's the quickest way)

1 tbsp Garam Masala  

(You can find this in the dried herbs and spices section of the supermarket in little jars or if you happen to live near any Asian food shops it is widely available and much cheaper. It is a blend of spices used in curries. Traditionally every family would have their own Garam Masala, which is their own unique blend of spices they would use. It literally translates as Garam-Hot and Masala-Spices, but the term hot refers to the intensity of the spice rather than to the Chilli content or heat).

1 tsp Chilli Powder

(Add this gradually and adjust to suit your taste. Add more if you prefer it hotter)

1 tbsp Turmeric (Haldi) Powder
(In a supermarket look for Turmeric, if in an Asian store it will be called Haldi)
4 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Salt
150g Natural Yogurt
3 Fresh Tomatoes

1. Fry the meat in half of the butter until brown and set aside.
2. Fry the onions in the rest of the butter until golden brown. This helps give the curry its colour.
3. Add the garam masala, turmeric, chilli powder, garlic and ginger and stir until the aromas are released as the spices warm up.
4.  Add the tomato puree, bay leaves and yogurt and cook for 1 minute.
5.  Add the meat, chopped tomatoes, potatoes and salt and some hot water and leave to cook for 1 hour or until the meat is tender. At this stage it could be transferred to the slow cooker and left to get on with it. Don't add too much water, you can always add more as it is cooking. You want it to reduce to a nice thick sauce.

Serve with some plain boiled rice and Naan bread or poppadoms.

Please don't be put off by the list of the ingredients, once you have them you have many happy days of curry ahead. This is so tasty it is really worth giving it a go. Now relax and enjoy!