Chicken Rogan Josh
A deeply aromatic Kashmiri chicken rogan josh made with fennel, ginger, yoghurt and Kashmiri chilli — warming, vibrant, and gently spiced rather than fiery.
Servings: 4
Calories: 433kcal
Ingredients
For the paste
- 3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp fennel powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt or water
Other ingredients
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- Pinch of asafoetida Hing (optional)
- 5 green cardamom pods lightly bruised to open up a little
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 inch/5cm ginger peeled
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 2.2 lb chicken thighs are best
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp melted ghee optional
Instructions
- Over a medium heat, heat heavy-based pot with the mustard oil until just hot. Fry the whole spices in mustard oil for 10-20 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and ginger and fry this gently for 1-2 minutes until the raw flavour of garlic has gone.
- Stir in the tomato and cook down for around 4 minutes until soft.
- Add the powdered spices and stir well.
- Add the chicken pieces and bring the pan to a heat again (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Pour in the yoghurt and stir well.
- Bring this to a simmer and cook until some of the oil separates, around 5 minutes.
- Top up with water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and bubble gently 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and juicy.
- Lastly, pour over a little melted ghee (optional) to give the ultimate luxurious glossiness to the sauce and serve.
Notes
- Chicken – Can be swapped for lamb or goat; cook 90+ minutes until tender, adding extra water if needed.
- Mustard oil – Substitute with ghee or neutral oil (flavour will change).
- Asafoetida (hing) – Optional; leave out if unavailable.
- Cayenne – Optional; not traditional, added for extra heat.
- Black cardamom – Replace with extra green cardamom if needed.
- Ginger powder – Use extra fresh ginger instead.
- Onion, garlic, ginger, tomato – Can be omitted; add ground spices to warm oil, then chicken and yoghurt for a thinner sauce.
Serving and storage
Serve with lots of fluffy basmati rice to soak up all the delicious sauce.- Fridge – Keeps well for 3–4 days in an airtight container. Reheat until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
- Freezer – Freezes very well for 3+ months in portioned containers. Reheat from frozen until piping hot, adding a little water to prevent drying out.
Nutrition
Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 3mg