My poor husband is language-challenged, and he has a hard time remembering foreign names. So where this recipe is adapted from a Daniel Boulud recipe called Lamb Shanks Rogan Josh based on the traditional Indian curry made with cubes of lamb, Bob has renamed it something similar yet more familiar and since it's my version of Daniel's dish, I might as well keep Bob's funny name.
I've made a number of changes to Daniel's recipe and methodology. For instance, I've eliminated the overnight "marinating" of the shanks in the dry rub, and instead leave many of the spices whole because my hubby loves the seedy texture. The preparation for my dish starts a few hours before dinner, not the day before. I also broil the shanks for a uniform browning instead of doing it on the stove top because shanks are all curves and don't have enough even surface area to color the shank. I'd rather put them under a broiler while I prep the other ingredients. I also add more yoghurt than he does (only 1/2 cup for six shanks) and toward the end of cooking rather than lose it, basically, by adding it only at the start. And too, I add more ginger, some at the start for complexity and more toward the end to brighten the flavors.
For two:
Grind together:
6 green cardamom pods
6 black peppercorns
6 white or green peppercorns
3 whole allspice
3 whole cloves
1 Tblsp sweet paprika
1 tblsp kosher salt
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 3 inch length of cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 lamb shanks
oil
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 + 1 tblsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or 1 whole chipotle (or more to taste)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup water
1/2-1 cup yoghurt
Rub the shanks with oil and place under a hot broiler; brown both sides.
In a saute pan just large enough to hold the shanks and braising liquid, toast the cumin seeds in a little oil and add the prepped vegetables. Sweat them down a bit then stir in the ground spices. Add the water, bay leaf, chile and shanks. Add more water if needed to have shanks half submersed, and heat until the contents reach a simmer. Now move the pan to a low shelf in a 300 degree oven and braise for two and half hours, and turn the shanks at the one and two hour points during cooking.
When the shanks are done, remove shanks from the pan and, on the stovetop, stir in the yoghurt and reserved ginger. Cook for about five minutes to blend, and add a little water to thin, if neccessary.
I usually serve these shanks over a simple pilau made of jasmine rice steamed in water seasoned simply with with salt, olive oil and kala jheera seeds. I usually garnish the shanks with a fresh mint sauce in the style of a persillade, or a fresh salad. Shown here is how I served it last night, with julienned carrots, chopped mint and green onions finished with lemon juice, salt and EVOO.
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