Ainsley's Rogan Josh

This recipie came originally from Ainsley Harriet, I saw it on one of his TV shows.  We love it!  Originally this recipie is for Lamb Shanks, but I use diced lamb instead, and works perfectly. 

The spice mix for this rogan josh is very authentic, I do not vary it at all.The longer it is cooked, the more tender the lamb becomes, especially if you use lamb shanks, you can cook it for up to 3 hours, but remember to keep the lid on very tight, and add a splash of water to make sure it does not dry out or burn.

 

Lamb  Rogan Josh

Rating: Moderate

Ingredients:

3 tbsp sunflower oil
700 g neck or leg lamb fillet, well trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces - or 4 large lamb shanks
6 whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 large onion, roughly chopped
5 cm fresh root ginger, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper, (optional)
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
200 g Natural  Yogurt
400 g can chopped tomatoes

Method 

1. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large pan, add half of the lamb and fry until nicely browned all over. Transfer to a plate and fry the rest of the meat. Set aside.
2. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, then fry the cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves for a few seconds. Place the onion, ginger and garlic in a food processor and blend to a puree. Add the onion mixture to the spices and fry for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Add the ground spices and fry for another 1 minute.
3. Blend the tomatoes in the food processor until smooth. Return the lamb to the pan and stir in the tomatoes with 150ml (1/4 pint) of boiling water. Add the yogurt, a tablespoon at a time, frying for about 30 seconds between each addition.
4. Season to taste, part and simmer very gently for about 1 hour or until the lamb is meltingly tender but still holding its shape and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
5. Spoon the lamb rogan josh on to warmed plates with the basmati rice. Have warm naan breads and lime pickle to hand around separately.