Lamb Rogan Josh

From Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni
serves 8

For marinade
4 onions (about 1 lb), peeled and quartered
2 Tb finely chopped ginger
2 Tb ground coriander
3/4 tea red pepper, or to taste
2 1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 c sour cream
1 Tb Kosher salt
1/3 c melted ghee or 1/2 cup melted sweet butter

3 lbs lean boneless lamb, preferably from the leg, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
4 Tb ghee or 2 Tb sweet butter mixed with 2 Tb light veg oil
1 Tb minced garlic
1 Tb black cumin seeds, crushed, or 2 tea ground cumin
2 tea ground cardamom
1 tea Mughal garam masala
1 c heavy cream
Milk or water if needed

Mughal garam masala
1/2 c black or 1/3 c green cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks, 3 inches long
1 Tb whole cloves
1 Tb black peppercorns
1 1/2 tea grated nutmed (optional)

For garam masala
Break open cardamom pods. Remove seeds, and reserve. Discard the skin. Crush cinnamon with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to break it into small pieces. Combine all the spices except nutmeg, adn grind them into a fine powder. Mix in the grated nutmeg, if desired. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Makes 3/4 cups.

1. Put all the ingredients of the marinade except ghee into a food processor and blend until finely pureed.
2. Place the lamb in a large bowl, and pour marinade adn melted ghee over it. Mix thoroughly to coat, cover and let sit for 1/2 hour at room temp or 2 hours in the fridge. (Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking.)
3. Transfer meat, along with the marinade, to a heavy-bottomed pan (preferably non-stick). Place the pan over medium-low heat, and gently bring to a boil. Reduce heat adn simmer covered until the lamb is very tender, about 2-2 1/2 hours. Stir frequently to prevent the sauce's sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Heat the 4 Tb ghee in a small frying pan over high heat. Add garlic, and stirring rapidly, fry for 15 seconds. Immediately add cumin, cardamom, and Mughal garam masala. As soon as the spices begin to sizzle and release their fragrance, turn off heat and pour the perfumed butter, along with the spices, over the meat. Add cream, and stir to distribute teh ingredients. Let teh meat rest at room temp for 2 hours.
5. When ready to serve, check for salt, then reheat until piping hot. Serve over rice.

Note: Sometimes too much moisture evaporates during cooking, causing the ghee to separate from the sauce. If that happens, add a little milk or water, a Tb at a time, until teh fat is incorporated back into the sauce. Do not degrease, as teh fragrant ghee si one of the primary flavoring ingredients in the dish. Also, making a day ahead of serving improves the flavor.