Ingredients
4 lamb shanks, fat removed
250gm lamb, diced into 3.5cm cubes
4 tbsp corn oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 blade mace
2 cloves
4 pods green cardamom
2 pods black cardamom
2½cm cinnamon
1 bay leaf
3 onions, sliced
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander powder
2 tbsp tomato purée
Juice of 2 lemons
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp granulated sugar
Salt, to taste
For the saffron rice
250gm basmati
100ml full-fat milk
½ tsp saffron strands
3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 blade mace, coarsely crushed
3 pods green cardamom
1¼cm cinnamon
½ small onion, finely sliced
Salt, to taste
For the garnish
200gm carrot, julienned
500ml vegetable oil
50gm coriander leaves
Ginger, julienned
Method
1. Wash the lamb shanks and diced meat for the rogan josh. Drain well.
2. Heat the corn oil in a large pan. Add all the spices from the fennel seeds up to the bay leaf. Add the sliced onions and cook until they turn a pale yellow.
3. Add all the meat to the pan and cook until browned.
4. Add the ginger and garlic pastes, and cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in turmeric, red chilli and coriander powders and some salt. Cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Add enough water to cover the meat. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat is three quarters of the way cooked.
7. Stir in the tomato purée and heat until the meat is cooked through and the gravy thickened. Add the lemon juice, garam masala and sugar. Season to taste.
8. For the saffron rice, wash the basmati in a sieve under warm running water. Leave to soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain.
9. Meanwhile, heat the milk and saffron in a heavy-based pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside for 30 minutes for the saffron to infuse.
10. Put the ghee in a heavy pan and place over medium heat. Add the whole spices. Add the sliced onion as soon as the spices begin to change colour. Cook until the onion turns a pale gold.
11. Gently fold the drained rice into the onion, ensuring the ghee spreads evenly. Pour in the saffron-infused milk and 400ml warm water. Stir the rice and bring to a boil.
12. Reduce the heat and simmer until the water above the rice has been absorbed. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and place over the lowest possible heat (use a diffuse mat if you have one).
13. Cook covered for 10 minutes, turn the heat off and let rest for about 5 minutes.
14. Deep-fry the carrot juliennes in hot oil until crispy. Drain on paper tissue. Garnish the rogan josh with coriander, ginger and crispy carrots. Serve with rice.
Recipe courtesy: Vineet Bhatia, Chef Patron, Indego by Vineet, Grosvenor House Dubai
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