Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Rogan Josh
"Food smells good. So what's for dinner?"
"Rogan Josh", I say, with just that touch of airiness.
For unlike things like mutton kadhai, rogan josh has that very nice sound to it. Just say it 'Rogan Josh’. Sounds nice, doesn't it?
"Hmmm, it tastes very delicious", he says. "Hate to burst your bubble though, but this is not authentic rogan josh."
I stare at him, murder in my eyes.
"Rogan Josh", he continues, "does not have any onion or garlic or tomatoes, for that matter."
"Really? I can pull out the recipe and prove that this is rogan josh", I claim. "And how", I continue, with a touch of scorn, "Can you be so sure of what rogan josh contains?"
"Because a good friend in college was a Kashmiri Pandit. I have eaten at his place a dozen times. I do know what I am talking about, Kashmiri Pandits don't eat onions or garlic."
I was then convinced that he had a point. And that set me off on a quest for the recipe of the 'authentic' rogan josh. (Of course, my friend was of no help in sourcing the recipe from his friend's mom. He had lost touch with him years ago).
Thank God, they invented google! With help from here and here, this is my version of rogan josh.
And while I am not laying claim to any authenticity, all I can say is when that same friend came over again, he thought that (finally) I had got it right!
Rogan josh has a very flavourful gravy with a very subtle taste from the use of various dry spices. If you are a vegetarian, use baby eggplants in place of the meat; the cooking time for the eggplant will be considerably less.
Ingredients:
Goat meat/Lamb: 750 gms
Asafoetida: 1.5 tsps
Dry spice powders - Dried ginger powder, fennel seed powder, coriander seed powder: 1 tbsp each
Kashmiri red chilli powder: 2 tsps
Grated ginger: 1 tsp
Whole garam masala:
Cinnamon: a 2" piece
Cloves: 8 nos
Black cardamom: 4 nos
Green cardamom: 3 nos
Black peppercorns: 6
Yogurt: 3/4 cup (the yogurt has to be at room temperature)
Ghee: 4 tbsps
Salt: to taste
Saffron: 1 pinch, soaked in a tbsp of rosewater
Method:
Heat ghee and add the whole garam masala, saute for 30 seconds. Add 3/4 tsp of asafoetida and saute another 30 seconds.
Add 1 tsp of red chilli powder and immediately add the meat, stirring till the pieces are evenly browned on all sides. The meat will leave water, keep stirring till all the water has dried up. This will take about 12-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk all the dry spice powders into the yogurt and add this to the lamb after the water has dried up. Stir till the yogurt has dried up and the masala coats the meat.
Add 2 cups of warm water, the grated ginger, the remaining asafoetida and the salt. Cover and cook on a very low flame till the meat is tender.
Remember we used only half the red chilli powder? Once the meat is cooked, add in the remaining red chilli powder, increase the heat and bring to a rapid boil. Your gravy will now look a fiery red with a thin film of oil on top.
Stir in the saffron soaked rosewater, cover and let the curry rest for a couple of hours so that all the flavours get infused into the meat.
Notes:
Resist all temptation to cook it in a pressure cook. The flavours come out best when the meat is cooked over low heat. In fact, I transfer mine to a slow cooker when I add the water and cook it for about 5 hrs. Seriously, I do.
Rogan josh has a deep red colour that it gets from the use of ratanjot, a herb grown in Kashmir. If you manage to get some, add a tsp after the meat has cooked along with the remaining chilli powder.
I normally leave the cooked meat overnight in the fridge, I think it tastes better the next day. It also helps in another way - in the fridge, the ghee solidifies. Scoop that out with a spoon before heating.
Forget the rotis and the parathas, rogan josh is best had with plain white rice.
Hubby's Fav dish. Looks delicious. Awesome shot.
ReplyDeleteThx for sharing the real roghan josh recipe... I didnt know it didnt have onion and garlic...
ReplyDeleteI have not yet made rogan josh. This looks really yumm. I can imagine the murder in your eye look, it will be the same here :-)
ReplyDeletehmmm..yummmmm
ReplyDeletethe rogan josh looks very authentic and tempting.
ReplyDeleteWow, I was oblivious to the ingredients. I thought Rogan Josh was PUNJABI!! That was an eye opener about the no garlic and onions rule!
ReplyDeleteRogan josh looks yummy, mouthwatering here...
ReplyDeleteNice and very colourful dish!!
ReplyDeletehi AD,
ReplyDeleteLOL....that's the situation I face with S sometimes over the taste and ingredients of some so called Special preparations ;)
lol ....for me ALL IZZ WELL if the end result is good :)
good preparation there...liked the deep colour of the dish
Thanks for stopping by Veggie Paradise, U have a nioe blog with wonderul recipes...
ReplyDeleteLove to follow ur blog
Aruna Manikandan
http://ensamayalkuripugal.blogspot.com
I loved reading this post and the story that went along with this recipe! Rogan josh is one of my favorite Indian meals. Beautiful recipe!
ReplyDeleteNever tried this...Looks tempting and delicious...
ReplyDeletethats so inviting ...love rogan josh:)
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you invite me, I will never complain :)
ReplyDeleteI have made once mutton curry in slow cooker but lost patience! Never attempt again!This one should be dam delicious!
Absolutely no dispute at the dinner table...I will just zero down myself in this spicy curry:):) Picture makes one' really hungry.
ReplyDeleteSo Kashmiri Pandits don't eat onions or garlic but eat mutton? I am laughing out loud. Never cooked mutton but this looks simple enough for such a delicious and authentic recipe.
ReplyDeleteSee, I haven't disappeared. Just trying to get some priorities in order.
This is mouthwatering beyond words. I have not made roganjosh in the longest time.. Can I please come over? Pretty please....
ReplyDeleteMmm... Rogan Josh is our favorite! Thank you for sharing the recipe, I can't wait to make it at home!
ReplyDeleteI can almost smell it from here! Great!
ReplyDeleteRogan Josh looks totally yumm. I have never cooked mutton without garlic or onion, this should be a good try
ReplyDeleteI have never made Rogan Josh, but had different variations from restaurants. Looks like none of those were really Rogan Josh after all :) Learned something new today. I love the way that gravy looks!
ReplyDeletelooks yum...
ReplyDeleteHi, just wanted to add one point....i dont add the yoghurt fully in one go instead i add extra water to the yoghurt and make it into a thin liquid which i keep on adding to the meat and "bhunoing" the meat with it. What this does is that the meat browns wonderfully and no smell remains and it also gets cooked. This is the way ive seen my mom make Roghanjosh since childhood.
ReplyDeleteP.S. i am a kashmiri pandit:-)
I agree to what Nidhi says there and am not a Kashmiri Pandit.
ReplyDeleteI pretty much make my Rogan Josh like yours. Except that I don't add saffron in mine. I have had my share of authentic Rogan Josh in Kashmir where I fell in love with the dish and the shikarawalas and the lake and everything about that place!