Kashmiri rogan josh
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
Mutton slow-cooked in a deep red gravy of Kashmiri chillies, fennel, dry ginger and yoghurt, a centrepiece of the Kashmiri table.
Region: Kashmir valleyOccasion: Feasts, weddings and Sunday meals; a dish of the WazwanTime: 1 hr 30 minServes: 4Non-vegetarian
Ingredients
- 750 g mutton on the bone, in pieces
- 4 tbsp mustard oil
- 4 green cardamoms and 2 black cardamoms
- 4 cloves and 1 small stick cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- 1 cup thick curd, whisked
- 3 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder mixed in ½ cup water
- 2 tsp fennel (saunf) powder
- 1 tsp dry ginger (sonth) powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
Method
- Heat the mustard oil until it smokes lightly, then let it cool a little.
- Add the whole spices and hing, then the mutton. Fry on high heat, turning, until the pieces are browned all over.
- Lower the heat and add the chilli paste. Stir for 3–4 minutes until the oil turns red.
- Add the curd a spoon at a time, stirring all the while so that it does not split.
- Add the fennel and dry ginger powders, salt and about 2 cups of hot water.
- Cover and simmer for about an hour, until the meat is tender and the gravy is thick, with a layer of red oil on top.
- Sprinkle garam masala and serve hot with steamed rice.
History
Rogan josh is generally linked to the Persian and Central Asian influence on Kashmiri cooking. Kashmiri Pandit households cook it with hing and without onion or garlic, while many Muslim households add shallots (praan) and the dried flower maval for colour.
Significance
It is one of the best-known dishes of Kashmir and is served at weddings and family feasts in both Pandit and Muslim homes.