Wild Boar Indian Rogan Josh Recipe
One of my favorite cuisines is Indian. There is something about the blend of spices, the umami, and the complexity of it all that keeps me coming back for more.
Indian recipes manage to blend savory, spice, and freshness all in one. They’re generally also easy to make.
Typically Indian dishes are made with goat, mutton, chicken, or prawns. You’re not likely to find pork on an Indian menu.
This led me to explore the opportunity. I didn’t have any sheep or goat to hand, and in my opinion, wild boar is very different than your local farmed pork. So an idea was formed.
The result turned out better than expected. The sweetness and nuttiness of the wild boar really blended well with the spices in the Rogan Josh.
Typically with wild boar, I would marinade for savory dishes like this, but for this dish, I didn’t have to do any marinating or pre-seasoning.
I used a neck cut for this, but I would recommend shoulder or ham; in my opinion, the neck meat is too fatty for this and is better off roasted or grilled.
Tips for Wild Boar Rogan Josh
Brown the meat and then rest. Typically wild boar meat has high water content, so I like to get a nice browning on the outside of the meat and then rest it a little.
Then I will add the spices to blend with these juices. This almost forms into a curry paste. After that, you can begin adding the other ingredients as normal.
If you are looking for something to pair this with, try venison biryani.
Wild Boar Rogan Josh
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless wild boar shoulder or ham
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon madras curry powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder or 4 green cardamom pods
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1.5 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cloves or 1/2 teaspoon clove powder
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 400 g tinned tomatoes
- 1 cup natural yogurt
- 2 cups water
- cilantro for serving
Naan Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup natural yogurt
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Pinch of sugar
- Pinch of salt
- High temp oil for frying
Instructions
- Melt the ghee in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to brown.
- Add the wild boar and garlic and cook until the boar begins to brown.
- Add in the spices and stir in well and cook for another minute.
- Add in the tomato, yogurt, and water, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot. Cook until the meat is very tender (approx 2hrs)
- Serve with fresh naan and coriander leaves
For the Naan Bread
- Add the sugar, yeast, and warm water to a small bowl and set in a warm area for the yeast to activate. This typically takes around 10 minutes. The mixture will become foamy when it is ready.
- Tip the flour onto a flat surface and make a well in the middle; add in the yeast mixture, yogurt, butter, salt, and oil.
- Stir the center until a dough begins to form. Begin kneading the dough until a smooth, shiny surface forms.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Place in a warm area until the dough doubles in size (approx 1 hour)
- Tip the dough onto a flat surface again and cut into 8 even pieces with a sharp knife.
- Roll the pieces flat. The shape is not so important as long as it fits in your pan. Thickness is your preference
- Fry them on a lightly greased cast iron pan over a high heat
