Kashmiri Rogan Josh Recipe - Lamb in Red Curry

The last time I ate at the restaurant I ordered the lamb rogan josh, chosen from the list of lamb curries. The description spoke of tender morsels of lamb meat marinated in yogurt and seasoned with the house's special rogan josh spice mix.

A dish that suggested atmospheres far from my ordinary spectrum of flavors, so after the usual initial indecision I let myself be seduced. Needless to say, there wasn't even a grain of basmati left on the plate, it was so good and the waiter happily took away the practically clean dishes.

When I had the opportunity to cook lamb I didn't have to think much about how to prepare it, rather what put me in greatest difficulty was choosing the right recipe. To my advantage I only had the memory of a very balanced flavor and a color between straw yellow and beige, but I had no idea where to start. On the internet I found many types of recipes.

Rogan Josh is a typical dish from Kashmir, one of the most colorful and tasty of this remote region, but full of charm and history. There are several versions of rogan josh, but the two most common are the Kashmiri Pandit version and the Mughal version. The most significant difference between these two recipes is that the Pandit version does not use onions or garlic. The Mughal version uses onions, ginger and garlic, and is more common in the restaurants.

Like the famous butter chicken or chicken vindaloo, this lamb curry has undergone several adaptations and modifications to the original recipes, and the versions we get in restaurants are not necessarily always authentic. For example, neither Kashmiri community uses tomatoes, but many adapted recipes will use tomatoes to add the traditional notes and deep red color to this dish.

The dish is essentially a lamb stew prepared with a nice thick sauce made of yogurt, onions, tomatoes, ginger and the classic Indian spices, but what distinguishes it is the bright red color, due to the powder of the chili peppers that are grown in the area.

Its main characteristic, which in the original version gives the red color, is given by Ratanjot, a root, and the powder of the precious Kashmiri chili peppers. Rogan josh is in fact a delicate curry that enjoys the aroma of chili peppers while keeping the spiciness at bay. If you like, you can use paprika instead of chili peppers, which will give a more pronounced red color.

But fear not, Rogan Josh is very delicate, as the chillies are dried without seeds and therefore have an aromatic but never aggressive flavour.

The recipe contains many ingredients, but it is quite simple to prepare and once cooked, low heat and patience will do their job. The secret is in the slow and gentle cooking.

Like all curries, rogan josh should be served with basmati rice or naan-type bread and the next day it is even better because all the flavors will have time to blend during the night.

Last note, which is valid for Rogan Josh, but also for all Indian recipes. The secret to a perfect Indian dish is ghee, clarified butter. You can replace with oil, but make a little effort and prepare it yourself.

Toast your spices before using them. To do this, heat a dry skillet over high heat and add the spices. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, but not burned. Indian curries begin with a mixture of chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. The secret to making a great curry is to fry the onion, ginger, and garlic until they are caramelized.



Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 50 mins

Nutrition: 381 calories

Ingredients:

250 gms mutton
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tomatoes
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic
2 green chillies
1 cup yogurt
2 cups water
1 tsp red chilli powder
4 cloves
5 cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 cup green coriander
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp ghee
2 onions
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp cashew and almonds
1 bunch curry leaves
Pinch of mace
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of saffron
Salt and sugar to taste

Recipe Method

Marinate the meat with oil, ginger, garlic, turmeric, red chilli powder, yogurt, lemon juice and salt. Keep aside for an hour.

In a pressure cooker, add mutton, a cup water and cumin. Close cooker and cook till all the water evaporates. Keep aside.

Heat ghee in a pan over low heat. Add bay leaves, curry leaves, green chillies, cloves, cinnamon, poppy seeds, almonds, cardamoms, pepper, cloves, mace, nutmeg, sliced onions and fry for a minute till golden brown. Add the tomatoes and cook till oil starts separating. Add the vinegar and cooked meat to it and mix well. Stir fry it for some time till mutton turns brown. Add a cup water and close the pan and simmer on low heat till the meat is well cooked. Once cooked, add coriander powder, saffron, sugar, and mix well.

Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves with rice, roti, paratha or naan bread.