Paleo Rogan Josh

I love Indian food and have been waiting to make a paleo version of Rogan Josh, one of our take-out favorites. I use an organic spice blend and pre-cut lamb stew meat to make things come together quickly. Start this early because the lamb needs ample time to simmer to ensure tenderness. I may try this in a crockpot next time so it would be ready at the end of the day with no waiting.

The ingredients below are double the original recipe. It served three adults, with no leftovers. If cooking for 1 or 2, simply halve the recipe.

Adapted from The Clothes Make the Girl.

Serves  3-4.

Ingredients
2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
2 lb lamb or beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup coconut milk (I used a full can)
1 cup water
sea salt
fresh-ground black pepper
4 Tbsp organic Roganjosh spice blend
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional; adjust to your desire level of spiciness)

Preparation

1. Sprinkle meat generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown well on all sides. Let the meat sit undisturbed for approximately 5 minutes before turning to ensure a nice brown crust.
3. When the meat is browned, add the chopped onion and cook until softened.
4. Add Roganjosh seasoning to the pan and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add coconut milk and water to the pan. Mix well, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Let the meat braise in the coconut milk 1 - 2 hours; the longer you wait, the more tender the meat will be.
6. When meat is tender, remove the lid and let the sauce thicken for 2 - 3 minutes before serving with saffron peas pulao.

NOTE: You can serve this with the vegetable of your choice: kale, spinach, broccoli, etc. You can also scale back and serve it with cauliflower "rice" seasoned with a little ghee, salt, and pepper. This recipe makes plenty of broth to go around.