Kashmiri Rogan Josh (Slow cooked mutton in red curry)

Immerse your taste buds in one of the signature recipes of Kashmiri cuisine. I present to you - Rogan Josh. This recipe can be prepared with lamb, beef or goat meat. 

The gorgeous red color comes mainly from Degi Mirch which is an Indian spice made from a blend of colorful red bell peppers and Kashmiri red chillies. It adds a mild heat and a deep red-orange color to the dishes. Paprika is often considered as a substitute for Degi Mirch, however, Paprika is milder in flavor. Degi Mirch just brings color, flavor wise it doesn’t add a lot of heat in the dish making it very different from chili/ red pepper. Degi Mirch is perfect for any curry or marinade as it adds a beautiful color without the heat.

I took the recipe of Rogan Josh from my mom and was surprised to see that the list of ingredients was so short. Although the original recipe calls for Beef, you can use Goat meat (like I have used) or Lamb as well.

In India, Rogan Josh is a serious competitor of Chicken dishes (Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Kadai Chicken), Mutton dishes (Mutton Korma, Mutton Kababs prepared with ground goat or lamb meat, Mutton curry prepared with tomato and/ or herbs) and Fish dishes (Fish Kababs, Fish curry with tomatoes and Macher Jhol prepared with Mustard). 

One very important point to be kept in mind for this particular dish is - No Tomatoes. Meat cooked in yogurt tastes significantly different than meat cooked in tomatoes. Yogurt tenderizes and adds a different flavor profile to the meat. Slow cooking the meat in ghee brings a delicious color and rich taste. If you want to cook something different and yet effortless it doesn’t get any better than this dish.

It is said that Rogan Josh was originally brought to the Kashmiri cuisine by the Mughals and personally I am a huge Mughlai cuisine lover. I think that if you want to feel like a royal, you should definitely try a mughlai dish. Although most of the mughlai dishes are more labor intensive, this one is an exception which makes it my favorite.

If you want to try something different, try this recipe. You will love its beautiful flavor and ease of preparation. Serve this rich curry with steamed rice, pulao, tandoori roti or butter naan. 

Ingredients:

• Goat Meat (Mutton with bone) - 1 kg, washed thoroughly
• Red Onion - 2-3 medium, sliced thinly
• Ginger - 2 inch, peeled and grated
• Garlic cloves - 6-8, peeled and grated
• Yogurt - 1 cup, whisked lightly
• Coriander Powder - 2-3 teaspoons
• Salt - ½ teaspoon
• Degi Mirch Powder - 2-3 teaspoons
• Cumin Powder - ½ teaspoon
• Ghee - 2 tablespoons
• Mustard Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Black Cardamoms - 2
• Cloves - 6-8 
• Black Peppercorns - 10
• Bay Leaf - 2
• Cinnamon Stick - 2 inches
• Beef/ chicken stock - 32 oz

Directions:

• Heat the ghee and mustard oil over medium to medium-high heat in a big pot or dutch oven. 
• When it starts to ripple, add the meat and sear on all sides, about 5-10 minutes.
• Stir in the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until the onion starts to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Stir in the Black Cardamom, Bay Leaves, Cloves, Degi Mirch Powder, Salt, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Cinnamon, Black Peppercorns and fry until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Use a wooden spoon to push the mutton and onions to one side of the pot. Add a tablespoon of yogurt (at a time) to the empty area, stirring continuously until the whole cup of yogurt blends in.
• Add the beef stock, bring the mixture up to a boil, and then put a lid on it, turn it down to a simmer. Let it cook until the meat is tender and the curry is thickened, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Finally taste and adjust the salt and black pepper. 
• Serve hot with steamed rice, pulao, tandoori roti or butter naan.

Love Goat Meat/ Lamb? Try these recipes as well:

• Mutton Rezala (Bengali recipe: Tender Meat in Cashew Poppy Seed sauce)
• Achari Mutton
• Mutton Gravy
• Mughlai Mutton Stew
• Awadhi Mutton Biryani
• Mangshor Jhol (Bengali Style Mutton Curry)
• Mughlai Kabab
• Grilled Lamb Kababs
• Kosha Mangsho (Bengali dish: Slow cooked aromatic Mutton gravy)
• Goat Stew with White Wine
• Papa’s Kosha Mangsho (Grandpa’s Special Goat Curry)
• Keema Matar (Minced Goat meat/ Beef with dried Peas)
• Hariyali Ghosht - Herbed Goat Curry
• Goat Dhansak (Mutton with Red Lentils)