Butter Lamb vs Lamb Rogan Josh: Which Should You Order in Kastrup?

Two dishes on our menu sell for the same price, use the same cut of meat, and still taste nothing alike. Butter Lamb vs Lamb Rogan Josh is the question we get most often from first-time customers at the counter in Kastrup, usually in the form of "which one should I get?". Both cost DKK 139. This guide is the answer we give in person, written down so you can decide before you order.

Short version: Butter Lamb is creamy, round and gentle. Lamb Rogan Josh is darker, more aromatic and driven by spice. If you cannot decide, read on, or order one of each and share.

The quick comparison

• Butter Lamb: lamb in a velvety tomato-butter sauce with cream, cashew and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek). Rich, smooth, mild. Full guide to Butter Lamb.
• Lamb Rogan Josh: lamb braised in ghee with whole spices and Kashmiri chili. Deep red, glossy, aromatic. Full guide to Lamb Rogan Josh.
• Price: DKK 139 each, rice from DKK 25, naan DKK 17.

Where each dish comes from

Butter Lamb is the lamb version of Butter Chicken, which was created in Delhi in the 1950s. Same idea, different meat: a sauce of ripe tomatoes, butter and cream, finished with kasuri methi. Lamb gives that sauce a deeper, more savoury backbone than chicken can. If you already love our Butter Chicken, this is the natural next step. We compare the chicken versions in Tikka Masala vs Butter Chicken.

Rogan Josh comes from Kashmir, in the far north. The name is Persian: rogan means fat or oil, josh means heat or passion. It describes a method more than a recipe. Meat is cooked slowly in aromatic fat until the sauce turns thick and glossy. The signature ingredient is dried Kashmiri chili, which gives a bright red colour and a warm, slightly sweet heat rather than a sharp burn.

How they taste side by side

Butter Lamb leads with cream and tomato sweetness, then cardamom and a faint maple-like note from the fenugreek. The sauce coats the back of a spoon. It is the dish to pick if you want comfort food, if you are feeding someone who does not usually eat spicy food, or if you are ordering for a group with mixed tastes.

Lamb Rogan Josh leads with spice. You get cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay first, then the warmth of the chili builds slowly. The sauce is thinner and darker, and it clings to the lamb instead of pooling around it. It is the dish to pick if you like your curry with some edge, or if you want something that tastes clearly different from the usual creamy takeaway sauce.

On our menu both carry the same spice rating, but they feel different on the palate. Butter Lamb is the milder of the two in practice. If you are unsure about heat, start there.

How we cook them in our kitchen

The two dishes need different handling, and that is the real reason they taste different.

For Butter Lamb, we marinate diced lamb shoulder in yogurt, ginger, garlic and spices, then sear it and braise it slowly until a fork slides in without resistance. The makhani sauce is made separately from tomatoes, cashew paste, butter and cream. The lamb and sauce then rest together before service, so the flavour goes into every piece.

For Rogan Josh, we start with whole spices in hot ghee: green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay. Onion goes in next and cooks low until the sharpness is gone, followed by Kashmiri chili, ginger and garlic. We cook this paste until the oil separates from the masala. Cooks call that stage bhunna, and skipping it leaves a raw taste in the finished dish. Only then does the lamb go in to braise until it pulls apart with a spoon.

Which one should you order?

Here is how we point people at the counter:

• Choose Butter Lamb if you want creamy and mild, if you usually order Butter Chicken, or if children or spice-cautious guests are eating with you.
• Choose Lamb Rogan Josh if you want something aromatic and spiced, if you already like Indian food and want a change, or if you prefer a sauce that is not creamy.
• Choose both if you are two or more people. The two sauces sit well next to each other, and sharing is the best way to learn which style you like.

A practical order for two: one Butter Lamb (DKK 139), one Lamb Rogan Josh (DKK 139), two portions of Basmati rice (2 x DKK 25) and two Garlic Naan (2 x DKK 17). That comes to DKK 362 before any drinks, and a Mango Lassi is DKK 35 if you want something cool next to the Rogan Josh. You can see every dish and price on our menu.

Ordering from Inder'n in Kastrup

Inder'n, Sirgræsvej 4, 2770 Kastrup, is a takeaway and delivery kitchen serving Kastrup, Tårnby and Amager, a short drive from Copenhagen Airport (CPH). There is no dining room, so your food is packed to travel and stays hot on the way home or to your hotel. Inder'n is open Tuesday to Sunday, 16:00–20:30 (closed Mondays). You can order online here or call +45 50 29 13 71.

If you have an allergy, please call us before ordering. Our dishes can contain gluten, milk, nuts, soy and other allergens, as stated on the menu.