Bhut Jolokia Lamb Rogan Josh Recipe

Naga bhut jolokia, also known as the ghost chilli, is one of the most fearsomely hot chillies in the world. It’s so potent that in India the chilli powder is used as tear gas.

However, used in moderation the naga bhut jolokia brings a delicious fruity heat to curries. Use a whole pod to infuse a curry sauce and remove before serving, or infuse in oil for a fiery condiment.

In the recipe below, we've replaced the traditional mild Kashmiri chilli powder in a rogan josh with just one naga bhut jolokia chilli pod. Don’t worry, you’ll certainly feel the heat!


Ingredients Serves: 2


To serve

  • Yoghurt
  • Cooked basmati rice

Method

  1. Heat your oven to 160°C. First make your spice blend. Heat a small oven and flameproof casserole dish (max 9” diameter) with a tight-fitting lid over a medium heat. Dry fry the following spices for 2-3 minutes without burning: coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves and the seeds from the cardamom pods. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind finely.
  2. Roughly chop the onion, garlic cloves and peeled ginger and purée together in a blender or small food processor.
  3. Add sunflower oil to the casserole dish over a medium heat. Spoon in the pureed onion, garlic and ginger along with the ground spices, fine salt and ground turmeric. Fry for 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking. Then the lamb neck and brown for a further 5-7 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile prepare your bhut jolokia chilli. Make tiny snips around the chilli pod using the tip of sharp scissors. Each cut shouldn’t be large enough for seeds to come out. They are just to help the chilli infuse the curry sauce.
  5. Add 200ml water, the bhut jolokia chilli pod, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and chopped tinned tomatoes to the pan with the onion and spices. Stir and bring to the boil. Cover with lid and place in the oven for 1 ½ hours to cook. Check and gently stir the curry halfway through the cooking time, taking great care not to break up the chilli pod.
  6. If the stew has a lot of liquid, rest the lid back at a slight angle when you return it to the oven and leave a 1cm gap to allow extra water to evaporate, so the sauce can thicken. Alternatively, if the curry looks dry, add a little water and place the lid on tightly.
  7. When the cooking time is up, remove from oven, discard the chilli pod, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Add the sugar and stir well.
  8. Serve with plenty of yoghurt and cooked basmati rice.
© Speciality Cooking Supplies Limited 2024

Bhut Jolokia Lamb Rogan Josh Recipe


Shop here to find more dried chillies from around the world. Or to learn more about the huge variety of chillies, read How to Cook with Mexican Dried Chillies.  




0 comments

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

Latest Articles & Recipes

  • how to dispose kitchen knives

    How Can I Safely Dispose of Kitchen Knives

  • Seared Fish Bites
  • sticky rice

    How To Make Sticky Rice In A Rice Cooker