Caroline's Cooking

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Slow cooker lamb rogan josh (using lamb shanks)

by 40 Comments

Enjoy the delicious aromatic and chili spice of a traditional Indian curry with hands-off cooking. This slow cooker lamb rogan josh is packed with flavor and the meat meltingly tender. 

This delicious lamb rogan josh is made with lamb shanks in the slow cooker. Easy, meltingly tender and incredibly delicious: so full of aromatic Indian flavors.

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Lamb shanks are definitely a favorite in our house, although they have to be slow cooked which does mean you need to plan a little to have them. However that doesn’t mean they need to take a lot of effort.

Plus, they can take on a range of flavors, whether a classic wine-tomato based braised lamb shanks or  Moroccan in my tangia style lamb shanks. These Indian flavor also work really well, and the lamb becomes meltingly tender and flavorful.

Slow cooker lamb rogan josh (using lamb shanks)

This lamb rogan josh is cooked in the slow cooker with only a little preparation at the start, then left to get on with it. The smells filling the kitchen will have you desperate to dive in, but give it time, and you’ll be rewarded with a deliciously flavorful curry that melts in your mouth (while giving it a little spice kick, too). It’s the sort of dish that is perfect for this time of year, as it’s getting colder as it is wonderfully warming.

How to make lamb rogan josh in the slow cooker

This dish takes a tiny bit more preparation than some slow cooker recipes in that I really think you need to pre-cook the onions to get the proper flavor from them, and there’s a spice paste to make up, but these don’t take long and can be done in advance if it suits your schedule better.

making lamb rogan josh

The spice paste and sauce is based on a traditional lamb rogan josh, a dish that is fairly common when you go out for a curry in the UK but that I don’t think is really known in the US. It’s a wonderful mixture of flavors that you can spice up or down as you like.

Normally this curry is made with more stewing cuts of lamb meat ie in chunks, but it works really well with lamb shanks as well as they have a great depth of flavor and become so tender.

Partly with cooking it in the slow cooker, you will end up with a bit too much sauce with the lamb than you probably need but don’t let it go to waste – while it is most commonly paired with lamb, you can also use it with chicken or vegetables and it will be great. Using the leftover sauce another day is a great way to enjoy the flavors even more – just cook whatever meat or vegetables you want to have with it, add the sauce and warm through.

Slow cooker lamb rogan josh (using lamb shanks)

How do you serve lamb rogan josh?

I served the lamb rogan josh here with basmati rice and some homemade naan bread but do serve as you prefer. Just make sure you have something that will let you enjoy all the delicious sauce! You really want to be able to mop it up, and balance out the bit of spice kick as well, though as I say you can make it as hot or mild as suits your taste.

This slow cooker lamb rogan josh has such fantastic depth of flavor without needing all that much effort, you would think you had just ordered one of the best Indian takeaways you have ever had and will be so glad of the extra sauce to be able to enjoy the flavors again soon. It’s a great way to have an incredibly delicious meal without too much effort, and I know one we will have again.

This delicious lamb rogan josh is made with lamb shanks in the slow cooker. Easy, meltingly tender and incredibly delicious: so full of aromatic Indian flavors.

If you enjoy traditional Indian flavors, why not try:

All are quick to make! Plus get more Indian recipes in the archives.

I’d also recommend a couple Indian cookbooks which show the great diversity of Indian cooking (affiliate links) – Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking and Floyd’s India.

This delicious lamb rogan josh is made with lamb shanks in the slow cooker. Easy, meltingly tender and incredibly delicious: so full of aromatic Indian flavors.
Print Recipe
4.5 from 2 votes

Slow cooker lamb rogan josh (using lamb shanks)

This curry is packed with wonderfully aromatic spice, and some heat as well, plus the meat is so tender - all round delicious!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time6 hrs
Total Time6 hrs 15 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: lamb curry, slow cooker recipe, traditional Indian curry
Servings: 2 -4
Calories: 717kcal
Author: Caroline's Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 lamb shanks or 2 if large, depending on size

For the spice paste

  • 1 tbsp ginger approx 1in/2.5cm piece
  • 2 cloves garlic or 3 if smaller
  • 1 tsp chili powder or more or less to taste
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground allspice or cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamon seeds from around 5 pods, crushed
  • 2 tbsp plain yogurt

For the base sauce

  • 4 tbsp yogurt
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste tomato puree
  • 3 tbsp ground almonds at end

Instructions

  • Roughly dice the onion then heat the oil in a skillet/frying pan and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it has softened and is just starting to brown. Transfer the onion to the slow cooker, or set aside if preparing in advance.
  • Finely grate the ginger and garlic then mix with the rest of the spice paste ingredients (chili, cumin, coriander, turmeric, allspice or cloves, cardamon and yogurt). Rub the paste over the lamb shanks and put them in the slow cooker on top of the onions.
  • Mix together the base sauce ingredients (yogurt, water and tomato paste) and pour into the slow cooker - I prefer to pour it to the side to keep the spice paste on the lamb rather than running off too much but it's not so important.
  • Turn on the slow cooker to low and cook for around 6-8 hours.
  • Once it has finished cooking, stir in the ground almonds and serve. You can either serve the whole lamb shank for a large serving, or remove the meat from the bone and serve just the meat in the sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 717kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 84g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 478mg | Potassium: 1326mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 745IU | Vitamin C: 11.9mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 9.9mg

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This delicious lamb rogan josh is made with lamb shanks in the slow cooker. Easy, meltingly tender and incredibly delicious: so full of aromatic Indian flavors.

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Comments

  1. Paul says

    4 stars
    I’m giving it a shot on one of the first cold days this winter, and at least from a prep standpoint it’s sooooo easy! I had a little prepared rogan josh spice that I added to the mixture to give even more depth, so will see how it goes. Thanks for bringing a bit of Indian flair to the USA!!

    Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks Paul, glad you found the prep nice and easy. I agree it’s perfect for a colder day, hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  2. Hayley says

    Hi Caroline,
    My daughter in intolerant to almonds, can I substitute for a different nut or just leave them out?

    Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Hi Hayley, I’d suggest grinding up a few cashews instead, since they are probably the closest in taste and I think it would be good to still have something for texture and flavor, but maybe use a little less. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  3. Alex says

    I’m making this as I type and I followed the recipe exactly except for adding an extra tbls of yogurt to the paste to make it spread easier. It smells wonderful.

    Most of the time I briefly pan sear meat before it goes into the slow cooker. Is there a reason that this step is not included in the instructions? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      I hope you enjoy it Alex! Pan searing the meat before you put it in the slow cooker is generally done for flavor but this dish really doesn’t need it as there are so many spices etc. Also it’s easy for the yogurt to penetrate and tenderize the meat if it’s not seared.

      Reply

  6. Angie says

    This sounds amazing! If only I could get lamb shanks anytime I want! Maybe lamb chops can substitute? My husband would love this very much. I’m saving this recipe, thanks! 🙂

    Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks Angie, yes they can be a little harder to find. If you can’t get I would use stew meat/shoulder instead as it’s going to be slow cooked, you want a less lean cut and using chops would almost be a waste! Hope you manage to try!

      Reply

  8. Loretta says

    Good heavens lamb rogan josh in a slow cooker? I’m going to have to try this out for sure. I was in the UK last week visiting with my Mom and sisters, and I made a lamb rogan josh for them, it was delicious! So where do you get your lamb shanks from? I don’t think they are readily available in supermarkets? I too think the flavors would intensify if cooked in a slow cooker, I can almost smell it from here. Well done!

    Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks Loretta. I sometimes get lamb shanks in our meat delivery (we get a monthly box) or I also see them now and again at Wholefoods – I usually get them if I see them as you are right, they are not always available, but if there’s a meat counter there is a higher chance. Yes the slow cooker does really help intensify the flavor, it’s delicious!

      Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks, Karen, it is a very tasty dish and one I would recommend trying, particularly if you like lamb already.

      Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      What a shame, Wendy, maybe this dish might convert them as it’s not too ‘lamby’? Or you could try it with another meat.

      Reply

  20. Shelby says

    I’m still on the fence about lamb. My mom used to make it when I was young and I never ever liked hers and of course, she served it with mint jelly…then I tried it in an Indian Resturaunt and it was amazing! Your recipe looks like one I would be willing to try!

    Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Well Shelby I hope this dish would convert you, at least for this dish. It’s not actually that ‘lamby’ with all the spices so I’d hope would be a good one to try.

      Reply

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