Rogan josh is the best-known dish of the Kashmiri wazwan and of Kashmiri Pandit home cooking. Rogan refers to the fat or red oil, and josh to heat or intensity. The Persian-influenced dish took two directions in the valley: Muslim cooks use onions, garlic and maval (cockscomb flower) for colour, while Pandit kitchens skip onion and garlic entirely and rely on asafoetida, yogurt and spice.
This Pandit version gets its brilliant red from Kashmiri chillies, which are mild and fragrant, and its distinctive character from fennel powder and sonth (dry ginger), the two pillars of Kashmiri spicing. Mutton is browned in mustard oil, simmered in whisked yogurt, and cooked until tender with a thin layer of red oil floating on top.
It is served on festive days like Shivratri (Herath) and at family feasts, always with plain steamed rice. A good rogan josh is never thick or creamy; the gravy should be thin and intensely flavoured. In Pandit homes it is cooked in large quantities for Herath and eaten over several days. The flavour deepens overnight, so it is a good dish to make ahead. Kashmiri households also serve it alongside haak and a simple radish chutney to cut through the richness of the meat.
At a glance
| Region | Jammu and Kashmir |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Kashmiri |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 90 minutes |
| Total time | 105 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | mutton / yogurt / Kashmiri red chilli / fennel powder / dry ginger |
Ingredients
- 750 g bone-in mutton (shoulder and leg), 5 cm pieces
- 5 tbsp mustard oil
- 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida), dissolved in 2 tbsp water
- 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup thick curd, whisked smooth
- 3 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder mixed with 3 tbsp water
- 2 tsp saunf (fennel) powder
- 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups hot water
Method
- Heat mustard oil in a heavy pot until it smokes, then let it cool for 30 seconds and set the heat to medium.
- Add the whole spices and let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Add the mutton and salt and fry on medium-high for 10 to 12 minutes, turning, until the meat is browned and the juices have dried.
- Add the hing water; it will splutter. Stir for a minute.
- Add the Kashmiri chilli paste and stir-fry 2 minutes until the oil turns deep red.
- Lower the heat. Add the whisked curd a few spoons at a time, stirring constantly, so it does not curdle. Cook 8 to 10 minutes until the curd is absorbed and oil separates.
- Add fennel powder, dry ginger and turmeric and stir 1 minute. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer on low for 60 to 70 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mutton is very tender and the gravy has reduced to a thin, red sauce with oil on top. (Or pressure cook 4 to 5 whistles.)
- Sprinkle garam masala, rest 10 minutes and serve.
Tips
- Kashmiri chillies give colour without much heat; do not substitute regular chilli powder one to one.
- Whisk the curd until completely smooth and add it slowly on low heat.
- Bone-in meat is essential for body in the gravy, since there is no onion base.
Serve with
Plain steamed rice.