Rogan Josh. An authentic Rogan josh? And this was a challenge when my friend Rehan had come from Delhi to stay with me in Chennai. I took him along to buy Mutton and he wanted to know what’s cooking for dinner.
Hesitantly I said ‘Rogan josh’. My tone sounded so unconfident that I was in a dilemma thinking if my decision to cook this dish was correct. The reason – Rehan spent 5 solid years pursuing his MBBS course in Kashmir.
"Rogan Josh", he continues, "does not have any onion or garlic or tomatoes, for that matter."
“I know, I am aware about it”
He added “Are yaar you are a Madrasi and how on earth can you manage to produce an authentic version. You would add curry leaves to it”
I had a friend in college who was a Kashmiri Muslim. And I have eaten most of the Kashmiri dishes cooked by his mom. Rogan josh, Rista, Gustaba, Yakhni, Rajma are some of them.
A Madrasi cooking Rogan josh was quite a challenge and I couldn’t wait to prove myself. I made my version and could see that Rehan was convinced that I got it right.
The secret to an authentic Rogan josh is Mustard Oil. Any other substitute will work but not as good.
Here I am sharing the recipe which can be cooked in a jiffy. Rogan josh ingredients are the following:
Mutton (preferably leg meat) – 1 Kg
Mustard oil – 3 tbsps
Asafoetida (Hing) – 1.5 tsps
Kashmiri Chilli powder – 2 tbsps
Fennel (Saunf) powder - 2 tbsps
Ginger powder (Saunth in Kashmiri)- 2 tbsps
Curd - 1 cup
Khara masala (whole spices - Cinnamon: a 2" piece, Cloves: 8 nos, Black cardamom: 4 nos, Green cardamom: 3 nos, Black peppercorns: 6)
Salt - according to taste
The Method:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. add hing, then all the Khara masala(whole spices)..let it splutter for a bit, then add the meat.
2. Fry meat till it has a good reddish look to it. Take it off the gas, add the chilli powder, and let the meat cook in the chillies for a while. Ensure adjusting to extremely low flame or else the chilli will burn.
3. Then add the Fennel, Ginger powder and the curd. Simmer till oil separates from the curd.
4. Add water and pressure cook it till the meat is soft enough that it separates from the bone. The gravy is thin and red.
The flavours come out best when the meat is cooked over low heat. I prefer to cook this dish in a heavy bottom handi on a slow flame for almost 2 hours.
Enjoy this dish only with heaps of steamed rice and not with roti, paratha or nan. Leave it overnight in the refrigerator, it tastes better the next day. A practice we follow at home for all non-vegetarian dishes.
Note: Rogan josh should look fiery red with a thin gravy. Original rogan josh recipes would have Kashmiri red chillis (which are similar to paprika) and ratan jot which is the root of a herb grown in Kashmir and is pretty unobtainable now. Kashmiri red chillis are mild and are not fiery emitting heat. In Chennai you will get the ingredients - Kashmiri red chilli, Saunf and ginger powder from Super Markets like Nuts and Spices, Spencers, Reliance Fresh etc.Today Rogan Josh is available in most multicuisine Indian restaurants where you get an onion and tomato based gravy mixed with red food colour. Then you should not call this as Rogan Josh but just Mutton curry.
