Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Rogan Josh
386 kcal a serving, against 781 for the traditional version. That is 395 kcal off, or 51%, with 46.1g of protein. Serves 6. 2 hours.
What the traditional version is
Huge chunks of fatty lamb shoulder fried in a massive pool of ghee until browned. Onions, ginger and garlic are cooked down in the same fat. A mountain of mild, bright red dried chillies goes in, followed by whole milk yoghurt to form a thick gravy. The meat braises for hours until the fat breaks down completely.
What changed, and what each change costs
1.2kg of fatty lamb shoulder for lean diced lamb
Shoulder is glorious because the fat renders into the sauce, but that fat costs you heavily. Lean lamb drops the fat to almost nothing while keeping the protein high.
What it costs you. Lean lamb dries out if you rush it. You have to braise it gently. You lose that sticky, gelatinous texture that a slow-cooked shoulder gives the gravy.
120g of ghee down to 30g
Ghee is the first thing I cut. It's pure butterfat. Frying the meat and onions in 120g of it is authentic, but it makes the dish incredibly heavy. 30g is just enough to bloom the spices and get the onions moving.
What it costs you. The meat won't deep-fry in the pan. You have to brown it in 3 batches to stop it boiling in its own juices. You also lose that bright red oil slick on top of the finished dish.
250g of whole milk yoghurt for fat-free Greek yoghurt
It cuts the last bit of dairy fat. The thick Greek style mimics the texture of a reduced whole yoghurt perfectly.
What it costs you. Fat-free yoghurt splits much easier than the full-fat stuff if it hits a boiling pan. You have to temper it carefully and keep the heat low when it goes in.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 781 | 386 |
| Protein | 36g | 46.1g |
| Fat | 64.6g | 16.1g |
| Saturated fat | 31.5g | 6.9g |
| Carbohydrate | 13.1g | 12.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.6g | 12g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
The original is better. I admit it. You can't strip out 90g of pure butterfat and a fatty cut of meat without losing some of that lip-smacking richness. But what you get here is a fiercely spiced, tender lamb curry that you can actually eat on a weeknight. It packs a huge punch of flavour. Serve it with a pile of green vegetables rather than endless naan.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback