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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you enjoy traditional Indian flavors, why not try:
- keema curry (keema matar), a delicious ground meat and pea curry,
- Goan fish curry, where fish is cooked in a spicy coconut sauce,
- vegetarian paneer makhani that has a lovely tomato-nut sauce.
All are quick to make!
Slow cooker lamb rogan josh (using lamb shanks)
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
Try these other tasty slow cooker ideas:
-
- Chinese spare ribs in the slow cooker
-
- slow cooker chicken mole
-
- tangia-style slow cooker lamb shanks with lemon
See all the other warming ideas brought to this week’s Sunday Supper:
Beverages
- Drunken Pumpkin Spice Latte by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Hot Mulled Caramel Apple Sangria by The Crumby Cupcake
- Mexican Atole by Curious Cuisiniere
Desserts
- Apple Pear Crisp by The Freshman Cook
- Bananas Foster by Pies and Plots
- Fudge Pudding Cake by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Honeycrisp Apple Tart by The Redhead Baker
- Pumpkin Cheesecake in Pumpkins by Desserts Required
- Warm Cardamom and Coconut Rice Pudding by Fearless Dining
Main Dishes and Soups
- Beef Brats and Beans Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Beef Pot Pie with Herbed Biscuits by From Gate to Plate
- Best Ever White Bean and Mushroom Soup by Pancake Warriors
- Braised Venison with Plums by Food Lust People Love
- Butternut Squash Chili by Amee’s Savory Dish
- Butternut Squash Risotto with Pears and Sage by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Carbonnade Flamande by Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Classic Italian Meat Sauce by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Creamy Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Soup by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Hearty Chickpea Soup by The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
- Creamy Stove-Top Alfredo with Bacon and Green Beans by Peaceful Cooking
- Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Noodles by Confessions of a Cooking Diva
- Curry Debal by Palatable Pastime
- Easy Sweet Potato Soup by Healing Tomato
- Easy Zuppa Toscana Soup Copycat by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- French Onion Soup by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Gingered Butternut Squash Soup by Noshing With The Nolands
- Hearty Turkey Lentil Soup by A Gouda Life
- Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup by Party Food and Entertaining
- Mango Habanero Sauce by What Smells So Good?
- Oxtail Stew by Nosh My Way
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Serena Bakes Simply from Scratch
- Red Lentil Soup by My San Francisco Kitchen
- Roasted Squash Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Turkey Enchilada Casserole with Salsa Verde by Food Done Light
- Slow Cooker English Roast by Wholistic Woman
- Slow Cooker Lamb Rogan Josh by Caroline’s Cooking (you’re here!)
- Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Mushroom Gravy by Feeding Big
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
- Spice Rubbed Braised Beef by FamFriendsFood
- Spicy Meatball Tortilla Soup by The Weekend Gourmet
- Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon by Cooking Chat
- Turkey Chipotle Chili by The Complete Savorist
- Tuscan White Bean Soup with Ham by Big Bear’s Wife
Remember to pin for later!
Paul says
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!!
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!
Hayley says
Hi Caroline,
My daughter in intolerant to almonds, can I substitute for a different nut or just leave them out?
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!
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.
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.
Goats and Greens says
I love lamb shanks, it would be wonderful to have a new shank recipe — especially an Indian one — in my repetoire.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you, I hope you enjoy this one!
Stef says
Wow that looks fantastic! I like that you have made it with lamb shanks too, a nice twist and looks perfect!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Stef!
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! 🙂
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!
Liz says
Looks delicious! Love the combination of spices. Pinned for a cold night.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Liz, it is indeed great for colder weather.
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!
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!
Sue Lau says
I love curry and this looks delish!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, Sue, it is indeed!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
My husband and I love braised lamb shanks and your recipe sounds wonderful.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, Karen, it is a very tasty dish and one I would recommend trying, particularly if you like lamb already.
Tara says
Yum! I have never made lamb shanks before. They look perfect!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, Tara, they are definitely worth trying, this way is so delicious!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
This sounds so delicious to me. Unfortunately, I am the only lamb lover in my house.
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.
Abida says
Those shanks looks mouthwatering!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, Abida!
Bernie ~ A Gouda Life says
I really like lamb but have only cooked it in a ground form. I would love to try your lamb shanks on a snowy, Sunday afternoon this winter!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, Bernie, it would be great on a cold day for sure!
JayanthiSindhiya says
It looks mouthwatering
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
What a wonderful dish! I love lamb and will have to put this on the list of things to make!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, Serena, I hope you manage to give it a try and enjoy it.
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere says
I have never cooked lamb shank, but now I really want to! This looks delicious!
Caroline's Cooking says
They are definitely worth trying and this is a lovely way to enjoy them – easy and so flavorful.
Liz says
The flavor profile sounds fantastic! Now I’m craving lamb!!!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, Liz, it is indeed a great mix of flavors. We need to have it again soon!
Tara says
Wow, that looks really amazing, this is a recipe that I have to try!!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, Tara, it is really tasty!
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!
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.