RAG Demo

Blog

  • Shami Kebab

    Shami kebabs are found across North India and Pakistan, but Lucknow and Hyderabad claim them most strongly. Unlike galouti, they are made from boneless meat boiled with chana dal and whole spices, then ground together. The dal binds the mixture and gives the kebabs their characteristic soft, slightly grainy texture.

    A well-made shami is crisp on the outside and tender within, with a filling of chopped onion, mint and green chilli that adds freshness and crunch. The spicing is warm rather than hot: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper and dried red chillies cooked into the meat itself. An egg helps the kebabs hold together in the pan.

    They are made in large batches before Eid and Ramzan iftars, frozen and fried as needed. Shamis are also served at tea time, tucked into bread rolls, or as part of a dinner spread with paratha and chutney. A tray of frozen shamis means a hot snack is always minutes away when guests drop by.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineAwadhi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Total time80 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsboneless mutton / chana dal / egg / onion / mint

    Ingredients

    For cooking

    • 500 g boneless mutton, cut into small pieces
    • 1/3 cup chana dal, soaked 1 hour
    • 1 onion, sliced
    • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 6 dried red chillies
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 4 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom
    • 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tsp shahi jeera
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 cups water

    For binding and stuffing

    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped mint
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

    To fry

    • Oil or ghee for shallow frying
    • 1 beaten egg for dipping (optional)

    Method

    1. Put mutton, drained chana dal, sliced onion, ginger-garlic paste, whole spices, salt and water in a pressure cooker. Cook 5 to 6 whistles until the mutton is very soft and the dal is mushy.
    2. Open and cook uncovered on medium heat, stirring, until all the liquid evaporates and the mixture is completely dry, 8 to 10 minutes. This step is crucial; any moisture makes the kebabs break.
    3. Cool, remove the bay leaf and cinnamon, and grind the mixture to a fine, smooth dough without water.
    4. Add the egg and garam masala and knead well. Mix the chopped onion, mint, coriander, green chillies and lemon juice separately for the stuffing.
    5. Take a lemon-sized ball, flatten it, place a teaspoon of stuffing in the centre, close and flatten into a 6 cm patty. Repeat.
    6. Heat a little oil on a tawa on medium. Dip each kebab in beaten egg if using, and shallow fry 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp.
    7. Drain on paper and serve hot.

    Tips

    • If the mixture feels soft, add a tablespoon of roasted besan or breadcrumbs.
    • Shaped kebabs freeze well for 2 months – freeze on a tray, then bag them, and fry from frozen on low heat.
    • Grind in short bursts so the motor does not heat the mixture and make it pasty.

    Serve with

    Mint-coriander chutney, onion rings and lemon, or tucked into a paratha.

  • Galouti Kebab

    Galouti kebab is the pride of Lucknow. Legend says it was created for Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, who had lost his teeth but not his love of meat, so his cooks devised a kebab soft enough to melt in the mouth. Galouti itself means soft. Tunday Kababi in Aminabad, famous for a secret spice mix said to run to over a hundred ingredients, made it known well beyond the city.

    The secret is texture. Mutton mince is ground to a paste, tenderised with raw papaya, bound with roasted gram flour and perfumed with cardamom, mace, saffron, rose and kewra. The patties are shallow fried in ghee until a thin crust forms while the inside stays almost creamy. A puff of clove smoke adds the finishing touch.

    Galoutis are served as a starter at Awadhi feasts and weddings, traditionally with ulte tawe ka paratha, a thin, flaky bread cooked on an upturned griddle, and sliced onions with mint chutney. Making them at home takes time, especially the grinding, but the mixture can be prepared a day ahead and kept chilled. A pinch of the spice blend sprinkled over the cooked kebabs adds a final burst of fragrance.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineAwadhi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton mince / raw papaya / besan / ghee / saffron

    Ingredients

    For the kebab mixture

    • 500 g mutton mince, with about 15 percent fat
    • 2 tbsp raw papaya paste (skin on)
    • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 tbsp roasted besan
    • 3 tbsp fried onions, crushed to a paste
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • A pinch of saffron in 1 tbsp warm milk
    • 1/2 tsp kewra water
    • 1/2 tsp rose water
    • 1 tbsp ghee

    For the galouti masala

    • 6 green cardamom
    • 1 black cardamom
    • 4 cloves
    • 1 small blade mace
    • 1/4 nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp shahi jeera
    • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1 tsp dried rose petals

    To cook

    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 1 piece charcoal and 2 cloves for smoking (optional)

    Method

    1. Grind the galouti masala ingredients to a fine powder.
    2. Pass the mince through the fine plate of a mincer twice, or blitz it in a food processor in batches until it becomes a smooth, sticky paste with no visible fibres.
    3. Mix the mince with papaya paste, ginger-garlic paste, roasted besan, fried onion paste, chilli powder, salt and 1 1/2 tsp of the galouti masala. Add saffron milk, kewra, rose water and 1 tbsp ghee and knead 2 to 3 minutes.
    4. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, no longer – papaya will turn the meat mushy if left overnight.
    5. For smoke, heat the charcoal on a flame until glowing, place it in a small steel bowl set in the meat, add cloves and a few drops of ghee, cover for 5 minutes, then remove.
    6. With oiled hands, shape the mixture into thin patties about 6 cm across and 1 cm thick. They will be soft; chill them for 15 minutes if hard to handle.
    7. Heat ghee in a flat non-stick pan on medium. Fry 4 to 5 patties at a time for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once very gently with a flat spatula, until a deep brown crust forms.
    8. Drain briefly and serve immediately.

    Tips

    • Fat in the mince is essential for softness; very lean mince makes dry, crumbly kebabs.
    • Roast the besan on low until nutty and slightly darker before adding.
    • Flip only once; the patties are fragile until the crust sets.

    Serve with

    Ulte tawe ka paratha or sheermal, with onion rings and mint chutney.

  • Lucknowi Chicken Biryani

    Lucknowi or Awadhi biryani comes from the nawabi kitchens of Lucknow, where cooks perfected the pukki style: meat and rice cooked separately and then layered and finished on dum. It is the opposite of the fiery Hyderabadi kacchi biryani, prized instead for restraint, perfume and the separate, delicately flavoured grains.

    The chicken is first cooked in yogurt and whole spices to make a light, aromatic korma-like base with its own stock. Parboiled basmati is layered over it with saffron milk, kewra, rose water, fried onions and ghee, and the pot is sealed with dough. The result is subtle and fragrant, with gentle heat and moist, tender meat.

    Biryani is the centrepiece of Eid, weddings and Sunday feasts, served with burani raita or a simple onion salad. In Lucknow, it would be followed by phirni or shahi tukda. The chicken base can be made a few hours ahead, and the rice parboiled just before layering, so the pot can go on dum while guests arrive. Opening the seal at the table, with the burst of saffron and kewra aroma, is part of the ritual.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineAwadhi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time115 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschicken / basmati rice / yogurt / saffron / fried onions

    Ingredients

    For the chicken

    • 1 kg chicken, curry cut
    • 1 cup thick curd
    • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp white pepper powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 blade mace, 2 bay leaves
    • 1 cup fried onions (birista), crushed
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 cup water

    For the rice

    • 2 1/2 cups aged basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
    • 1 tbsp salt
    • 2 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp shahi jeera

    For layering

    • A generous pinch of saffron in 1/4 cup warm milk
    • 1 tsp kewra water
    • 1/2 tsp rose water
    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1/2 cup fried onions
    • 2 tbsp chopped mint
    • Atta dough to seal the lid

    Method

    1. Marinate chicken with curd, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, white pepper and salt for at least 1 hour.
    2. Heat ghee in a heavy biryani pot on medium. Add the whole spices and let them crackle for 30 seconds.
    3. Add the chicken with its marinade and the crushed fried onions. Cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, stirring, then add water, cover and simmer 15 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked and the gravy reduced to about 1 cup. Stir in garam masala.
    4. Meanwhile bring 3 litres of water to a rolling boil with salt and the rice spices. Add the drained rice and cook 6 to 7 minutes until 70 percent done – the grain should break with a firm white centre. Drain.
    5. Spread the rice over the chicken in an even layer. Drizzle with saffron milk, kewra, rose water and melted ghee, and scatter fried onions and mint.
    6. Cover with the lid and seal the edge with a rope of atta dough.
    7. Place the pot on a tawa over high heat for 5 minutes, then lower to the minimum and cook on dum for 25 minutes.
    8. Rest 10 minutes off the heat before breaking the seal. Serve by scooping from the side so each portion has rice and chicken.

    Tips

    • Parboiling the rice correctly is the crucial step; overcooked rice turns mushy on dum.
    • Fry your own onions thin and slowly until deep golden; they flavour both the chicken and the rice.
    • The salt in the boiling water should taste like sea water – the rice gets no other seasoning.

    Serve with

    Burani raita, onion-cucumber salad and mirchi ka salan or a light korma.

  • Nihari

    Nihari comes from the Arabic word nahar, meaning morning, and in Old Delhi it was traditionally eaten after the dawn prayer. The dish is said to have been cooked in the Mughal kitchens of the late eighteenth century, and the shops around Jama Masjid and Ballimaran still cook it overnight in sealed degs and sell out within hours of opening.

    Bone-in shanks and marrow bones simmer for many hours in a broth spiced with a dedicated nihari masala of fennel, dried ginger, long pepper, mace and nutmeg. Roasted wheat flour thickens it into a silky, glossy gravy, and a slick of spiced ghee floats on top. The meat should fall off the bone at a touch.

    It is eaten with khamiri roti or kulcha, garnished at the table with julienned ginger, green chillies, coriander, fried onions and lemon. In homes it is a weekend or Eid breakfast, often cooked the night before. The bone marrow is a prized part, sucked out straight from the bone. It is very rich, so most people eat it slowly, with long breaks for tea.

    At a glance

    RegionDelhi
    CuisineMughlai
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time240 minutes
    Total time260 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmutton shanks / atta / ghee / nihari masala

    Ingredients

    For the nihari masala

    • 1 tbsp saunf (fennel)
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 2 pippali (long pepper)
    • 4 cloves
    • 2 black cardamom
    • 4 green cardamom
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 1 blade mace
    • 1/4 nutmeg
    • 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder

    For the nihari

    • 1 kg mutton shanks (nalli) and bone-in pieces
    • 2 marrow bones (optional)
    • 1/2 cup ghee
    • 2 large onions, thinly sliced
    • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 8 cups hot water
    • 1/3 cup whole wheat atta mixed with 1 cup water

    To garnish

    • 2 inch ginger, julienned
    • 4 green chillies, sliced
    • Chopped coriander
    • Fried onions
    • Lemon wedges

    Method

    1. Dry-roast the whole spices for the nihari masala on low for 2 minutes until fragrant. Cool and grind fine with the sonth.
    2. Heat ghee in a large heavy pot on medium. Fry the onions for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden. Lift out half and keep for garnish.
    3. Add the mutton and marrow bones and sear on medium-high for 8 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry 2 minutes.
    4. Add chilli powders, coriander, turmeric, salt and 2 tbsp of the nihari masala. Stir-fry 3 minutes, adding a splash of water if the spices stick.
    5. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly (seal the lid with dough if you like) and cook on the lowest heat for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat comes away from the bone easily.
    6. Meanwhile, dry-roast the atta in a small pan on low for 5 minutes until it smells nutty and turns light brown, then whisk it into 1 cup water until smooth.
    7. Skim off some of the fat from the top of the pot and reserve it. Stir the atta mixture into the nihari and simmer, stirring, for 20 to 25 minutes until silky and thick.
    8. Heat the reserved fat with 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp nihari masala and pour over the top before serving. Garnish at the table.

    Tips

    • Shanks give the gelatinous body nihari is known for; boneless meat will not.
    • A pressure cooker cuts the cooking to about 50 minutes, but the slow-cooked version is noticeably silkier.
    • Nihari reheats well; it thickens on cooling, so loosen with hot water.

    Serve with

    Khamiri roti or kulcha, with ginger, green chillies, fried onions and lemon.

  • Modur Pulav

    Modur pulav, literally sweet pulao, is the celebratory rice of Kashmir. It is cooked at weddings, births and festivals, in both Pandit and Muslim homes, and its golden colour and perfume of saffron make it a centrepiece. The valley's own saffron from Pampore is traditionally used, along with walnuts and almonds grown in Kashmiri orchards.

    The rice is long-grain basmati cooked with ghee, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, so every grain is glossy and lightly sweet. Saffron soaked in milk is drizzled in at the end, leaving streaks of gold, and the pulao is studded with fried almonds, cashews, walnuts, raisins and sometimes dried apricots and dates.

    Though sweet, it is served as part of the main meal alongside savoury dishes like yakhni or rogan josh, so the contrast of sweet and spiced is part of the experience. It is also offered at shrines and religious gatherings. Because it is sweet and rich, a small serving is enough, and leftovers can be warmed with a sprinkle of water and a spoon of ghee.

    At a glance

    RegionJammu and Kashmir
    CuisineKashmiri
    DietVegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbasmati rice / saffron / ghee / sugar / dry fruits

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups aged basmati rice
    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 cinnamon stick, 4 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 bay leaf
    • A generous pinch of saffron soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk
    • 10 almonds, halved
    • 10 cashews
    • 8 walnut halves
    • 2 tbsp raisins
    • 4 dried apricots or dates, chopped (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 1/2 cups water

    Method

    1. Wash the rice gently until the water runs clear and soak for 30 minutes. Drain.
    2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the salt, add the rice and cook 6 to 7 minutes until about three-quarters done. Drain in a colander.
    3. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan on medium. Fry almonds, cashews and walnuts for 2 minutes until golden, add raisins and apricots for 30 seconds until the raisins puff. Remove.
    4. Add the remaining ghee to the pan with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
    5. Add the sugar with 1/2 cup water and stir until it dissolves into a light syrup, about 2 minutes.
    6. Add the parboiled rice and fold very gently. Drizzle the saffron milk over the top and scatter most of the fried dry fruits.
    7. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12 to 15 minutes (on a tawa placed under the pan, if your burner runs hot), until the rice is fully cooked and the syrup absorbed.
    8. Rest 5 minutes, fluff gently and garnish with the remaining dry fruits.

    Tips

    • Parboiling first keeps the grains separate; cooking raw rice in syrup makes it sticky.
    • Adjust sugar to taste – traditional versions are quite sweet.
    • A few drops of rose water at the end add another layer of perfume.

    Serve with

    Kashmiri yakhni or rogan josh as part of a festive meal.

  • Kashmiri Yakhni

    Yakhni is the gentle counterpart to rogan josh in Kashmiri cooking. The name comes from a Persian word for stock or broth, and the dish is a yogurt-based curry so pale and mild that visitors are often surprised it belongs to the same cuisine. It is a fixture of the wazwan and of everyday Kashmiri homes, both Muslim and Pandit.

    There is no chilli and no turmeric. Instead the flavour comes from mutton stock, fennel, dry ginger, green and black cardamom and a final scattering of dried mint. Yogurt is cooked slowly until it becomes silky and stable. The taste is soothing and fragrant, with a gentle tang and plenty of meaty depth.

    Yakhni is served with plain steamed rice, often on the same table as rogan josh so diners can balance mild with spicy. Vegetarian versions use lotus stem (nadru yakhni) or bottle gourd. Because it is mild, yakhni is also a favourite with children and older family members, and it is a comforting dish in the cold Kashmiri winter. Dried mint and fennel are the flavours that make it unmistakably Kashmiri, so do not leave them out.

    At a glance

    RegionJammu and Kashmir
    CuisineKashmiri
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time80 minutes
    Total time95 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton / yogurt / fennel / cardamom / dried mint

    Ingredients

    For the mutton

    • 750 g bone-in mutton pieces
    • 4 cups water
    • 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom
    • 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the yogurt gravy

    • 2 cups thick curd
    • 1 tsp cornflour or 1 tbsp besan (to stabilise)
    • 3 tbsp ghee or mustard oil
    • 1/4 tsp hing
    • 1 tsp shahi jeera (caraway)
    • 2 tsp saunf powder
    • 1 1/2 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 1 tsp dried mint, crushed
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Put mutton, water, whole spices and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, skim the scum, then cover and simmer on low for 50 to 60 minutes until tender (or pressure cook 4 whistles). Strain and reserve the stock.
    2. Whisk the curd with the cornflour until completely smooth.
    3. Heat ghee in a heavy pot on medium. Add hing and shahi jeera and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
    4. Lower the heat, add the curd and stir continuously in one direction for 6 to 8 minutes until it comes to a boil and thickens slightly. This prevents curdling.
    5. Add fennel powder and dry ginger, then gradually pour in about 1 1/2 cups of the reserved stock, stirring all the time.
    6. Add the cooked mutton pieces and simmer uncovered on low for 15 to 20 minutes, until the gravy is creamy and coats the meat.
    7. Stir in cardamom powder and dried mint, check salt and rest 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Keep stirring until the yogurt boils; once it has boiled it will not split.
    • Full-fat curd gives the best texture; low-fat curd tends to separate.
    • Leftover stock makes an excellent base for pulao.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice, with rogan josh or haak on the side.

  • Kashmiri Dum Aloo

    Dum aloo is one of the most loved vegetarian dishes of Kashmir, served at Pandit weddings and festivals and eaten through the cold winters. Kashmiri cooking traditionally uses no tomatoes and, in Pandit kitchens, no onion or garlic, so the colour comes from Kashmiri chillies and the depth from yogurt, fennel and dry ginger.

    Small potatoes are boiled, pricked all over and deep fried until a crust forms, then cooked slowly in a red, yogurt-based gravy until they soak it up. The potatoes look fiery but taste aromatic rather than very hot, with a warm, slightly sweet fennel flavour and a sheen of red oil on the surface.

    It is eaten with plain rice or with roti, often alongside other Kashmiri dishes like haak (collard greens) and nadru yakhni. It is the vegetarian star of a Kashmiri feast. The potatoes can be boiled and fried a few hours ahead, leaving only the short simmer before serving. Choose small potatoes of even size so that they cook evenly and absorb the gravy at the same rate. A spoon of the red oil from the top makes a perfect drizzle over rice.

    At a glance

    RegionJammu and Kashmir
    CuisineKashmiri
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbaby potatoes / yogurt / Kashmiri red chilli / fennel powder

    Ingredients

    • 500 g baby potatoes, similar size
    • Mustard oil for deep frying
    • 1/4 tsp hing
    • 2 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 black cardamom
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 3/4 cup thick curd, whisked
    • 1 1/2 tsp saunf powder
    • 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tsp salt

    Method

    1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes until just tender. Peel while warm and prick each one all over with a fork or toothpick.
    2. Heat mustard oil in a kadai until it smokes, then lower to medium. Deep fry the potatoes for 6 to 8 minutes until golden and slightly crusty. Drain.
    3. Remove all but 3 tbsp oil from the kadai. On medium heat, add hing and the whole spices and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
    4. Take the pan off the heat. Mix the chilli powder with 2 tbsp water and add it, then return to low heat and stir 30 seconds until the oil turns red.
    5. Add the curd gradually, stirring constantly on low heat, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens and loses its raw smell.
    6. Add fennel powder, dry ginger, turmeric, salt and water. Bring to a simmer.
    7. Add the fried potatoes, cover and cook on low (dum) for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes have absorbed the gravy and red oil floats on top.
    8. Sprinkle garam masala and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Pricking the potatoes lets the gravy seep in; do not skip it.
    • Adding chilli powder off the heat keeps it from burning and keeps the colour bright.
    • Some families add a pinch of ratan jot to the oil for an even deeper red.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice or phulkas.

  • Rogan Josh

    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

    RegionJammu and Kashmir
    CuisineKashmiri
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time105 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton / 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

    1. Heat mustard oil in a heavy pot until it smokes, then let it cool for 30 seconds and set the heat to medium.
    2. 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.
    3. Add the hing water; it will splutter. Stir for a minute.
    4. Add the Kashmiri chilli paste and stir-fry 2 minutes until the oil turns deep red.
    5. 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.
    6. Add fennel powder, dry ginger and turmeric and stir 1 minute. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil.
    7. 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.)
    8. 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.

  • Gajar ka Halwa

    Gajar ka halwa arrives with the long, deep-red Delhi carrots that appear in North Indian markets from December to February. Punjabi families grate kilos of them at a time, often on the terrace in the winter sun, and cook the halwa in large heavy kadais for weddings, Lohri and everyday winter evenings.

    The carrots are simmered in milk until the milk is completely absorbed, then roasted in ghee with sugar until glossy and deep orange. The result is sweet, rich and slightly grainy, with the carrot flavour still distinct. Khoya adds a creamy, fudgy texture and cardamom gives the familiar aroma. Nuts are fried in ghee for crunch.

    It is served warm, sometimes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoon of rabri, after dinner or with tea. It keeps for a week in the fridge and reheats well with a spoon of ghee. The orange carrots available year round work too, though they need extra sugar and give a paler halwa. A pressure cooker can shorten the first stage, but slow cooking in a wide kadai gives the best texture.

    At a glance

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time105 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscarrots / milk / ghee / sugar / khoya

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg red Delhi carrots, peeled and finely grated
    • 1 litre full-cream milk
    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 3/4 cup sugar (adjust to the carrots' sweetness)
    • 100 g khoya (mawa), crumbled
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 12 cashews, chopped
    • 12 almonds, slivered
    • 1 tbsp raisins
    • 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped

    Method

    1. Put the grated carrots and milk in a wide heavy-bottomed kadai and bring to a boil on high, stirring.
    2. Lower the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the sides, until the milk has evaporated completely and the mixture is thick.
    3. Add the ghee and cook on medium for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the carrots look glossy and turn a deeper red.
    4. Add sugar. It will melt and make the halwa runny again; keep cooking 10 to 12 minutes until it thickens and the ghee starts to show at the edges.
    5. Stir in the crumbled khoya and cardamom powder and cook 3 to 4 minutes until it blends in.
    6. Meanwhile, fry the cashews, almonds and raisins in 1 tsp ghee until the nuts are golden and raisins puff.
    7. Mix most of the nuts into the halwa and use the rest with the pistachios to garnish. Serve warm.

    Tips

    • Use the finest side of the grater; coarse shreds stay chewy.
    • Add sugar only after the milk has reduced – adding it early slows evaporation and can make the carrots tough.
    • No khoya? Add 1/2 cup milk powder with a little milk at the same stage.

    Serve with

    Warm, on its own or with vanilla ice cream or rabri.

  • Sweet Punjabi Lassi

    Lassi is the drink of the Punjab countryside, once churned in tall clay matkas with a wooden madhani and drunk by the brass glass after a morning in the fields. Amritsar's lassi shops serve it in steel tumblers so thick a spoon nearly stands up, crowned with a layer of fresh malai and sometimes a dab of white butter.

    Sweet lassi is creamy, cold and gently tangy, with sugar balancing the sourness of the curd. Full-fat curd is non-negotiable; it gives the drink its body. A pinch of cardamom or a few drops of rose water is common, but the purest versions keep it to curd, sugar, ice and malai, churned until frothy.

    It is drunk with heavy breakfasts like chole bhature or aloo paratha, or on its own on a hot afternoon as a cooling drink. In summer, a glass of lassi after lunch is followed, inevitably, by an afternoon nap. At Amritsar stalls it is churned to order in big steel pots and handed over with the malai piled high.

    At a glance

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBeverage
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time10 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscurd / sugar / malai

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups thick full-fat curd, chilled
    • 4 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
    • 1/2 cup chilled milk or cold water
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder (optional)
    • A few drops of rose water (optional)
    • 6 to 8 ice cubes
    • 4 tbsp fresh malai (cream skimmed from boiled milk)
    • A few chopped pistachios to garnish

    Method

    1. Make sure the curd is well chilled and not too sour; a day-old homemade curd is ideal.
    2. Put the curd and sugar in a deep jug or bowl. Churn with a wooden mathani, or a hand whisk, for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the curd turns smooth and frothy.
    3. Add the milk or water, cardamom and rose water, and churn another minute. The lassi should be thick but pourable.
    4. Add the ice cubes and churn briefly once more so the lassi gets very cold and develops a foamy top.
    5. Taste and adjust sugar.
    6. Pour into tall glasses. Spoon 2 tbsp of malai on top of each and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve immediately.

    Tips

    • A blender works but over-blending makes the lassi thin; pulse in short bursts.
    • For a quick malai substitute, lightly whip a little fresh cream.
    • Hanging the curd for 30 minutes first gives an extra-thick, Amritsari-style lassi.

    Serve with

    Aloo paratha, chole bhature or a hot summer afternoon.