Clem's Kashmiri Mutton Rogan Josh


This is another dish introduced to India by the mughals. Today, rogan josh is regarded as a Kashmir quintessential. Rogan is Persian (the dish originated from Iran) for "oil" and josh means hot in Hindi. However, rogan also means "red" in Hindi. The cooking of this dish requires hot oil and should end up looking ruddy red from the Kashimiri chillies (used for color rather than fire). Like a lot of Indian recipes, there are many variations: those which are called "authentic", those from restaurant chefs, and those from home cooks. Like a magpie, from here and there, I garnered what I thought was a reasonable recipe for this dish.

Here is how I made a batch:

Materials list (after R. Stein, 2021; and others)

  • 750 g mutton or lamb
    I used mutton shoulder, bone-in

  • Neutral high-smoking point cooking oil (some recipes call for mustard oil)

  • 1 -2 large onions
    An Indian chef said that the secret to a good rogan josh is to have an amount of onion equal to the amount of meat used.
    I followed that advice.

Whole spices:

  • 5 cm piece of cinnamon stick

  • 3 dried Kashmiri chillies

  • 6 green cardamom pods, crushed

  • 4 cloves

Ground spices:

  • 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (reduce if you want it less spicy)

  • 1 tbsp ground coriander

  • 1 tbsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp ginger powder

  • 2 tsp turmeric

  • ¼ tsp ground mace

  • 1 tsp garam masala

  • 1 tsp toasted ground fennel seeds

  • 1 tsp compounded asafoetida (if available)

The rest:

  • 15 g / 3 cloves garlic, finely crushed

  • 15 g / 3cm ginger, finely grated

  • 4 tbsp tomato purée (this can be left out for a more authentic taste as tomatoes are not native to India or Iran)

  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

  • 300 ml water

  • 125 g natural yogurt

  • A handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped, to finish

Method

  • In hot oil, fry the whole spices (less than a minute; do not let them burn).
  • Add the sliced onions and fry until they are browned.
  • Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute.
  • Add the ground spices and fry for another 30 seconds or so just to remove the raw edge to the spices.
    I usually first make a paste of the ground spices with water to prevent them getting burnt.
  • Add the tomato purée now if included.
  • Add the meat and fry until nicely browned.
  • Add the water and simmer for at least two to three hours, or until the meat has attained the desired level of tenderness.
    A slow cooker is perfect for this type of cooking.
  • When ready to serve, sprinkle a little garam masala and ground fennel to top off the dish.
  • Chopped coriander can be used as a garnish.


As served:



Observation and conclusion

A very flavoursome dish well worth the effort in putting together. If the preparation above looks a bit thick, it is because I added some potato flakes at the end to give the gravy a bit more body. Those averse to oil should decant the oil before serving. Oil is often added in more quantity for the cooking (frying/browning stages) rather than for the serving/eating.
 


 


 

 

02 July 2021
 


 

 

 

 



Created by Clem Kuek