ROGAN JOSH…A popular lamb curry; Served here with stir-fried cawliflower

LAMB ROGAN JOSH…a passionate curry!

Rogan josh is an aromatic curry dish. Rogan means clarified butter in Persian, while Josh means hot or passionate. Rogan Josh thus means meat cooked in clarified butter at intense heat.
According to Lizzie Collingham’s book Curry: A tale of cooks & conquerors, Rogan Josh was brought to India by the Moghuls. The unrelenting heat of the Indian plains took the Moghuls frequently to Kashmir, which is where the first Indian adoption of Rogan Josh occurred. Evidence of this is the typical absence of onion and garlic in the Kashmiri versions of the recipe as made by Kashmiri Brahmins, who had no qualms about eating meat, but were averse to using these spices in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

Lamb – 500gms/ shoulder cut; on the bone
Whole garam masalas – Cloves -5/Whole pepper-7/Black cardamom – 3/Cinnamon – 1 ” piece
Onions – 3 medium / sliced
Ginger-Garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Paprika – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp
Yogurt – 1 1/4 cup / whisked gently with a fork
Green chilies/Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Heat oil. Add the whole garam masalas & fry for a minute or two.
• Add the sliced onions & fry till golden brown.
• Add the paprika & give it a good stir.
• Add the lamb & roast well till nicely browned.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste & roast again. Add a tbsp of water if required.
• Roast till the sides leave oil & put in the coriander powder + red chili powder.
• Now pour in the yogurt in 2-3 goes, stirring in well so the mixture doesn’t curdle.
• Add salt, stir & reduce heat to simmer. Cook covered under pressure/in a slow cooker till lamb is tender.
• Open only once it’s cooled down a bit. If the gravy is too runny, simmer for a while till it thickens up.
• Add a green chili or two for flavour if you like. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with naan, chapatis or rice.

Recipes vary widely across different locations and traditions, but all include lamb, onions, oil or ghee (clarified butter), and a mixture of spices. These may include paprika for its red colour, aniseed, cloves, cumin, cinnamon, and many others. Many variations have ginger, garlic, and yoghurt, and some use tomatoes.

Serve with a stir-fried vegetable dish on the side…

Recipe for Stir-fried Cawliflower (Gobhi)
Ingredients:

Cawlifower – 1 medium head / cut into florets
Coriander powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder – 1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing – 1 pinch (optional)
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Red chilli flakes – 1/4 tsp
Dried mango powder (amchur) – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

• Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan to nice & hot. Add the asafoetida if using, followed by cumin seeds.
• Once the seeds splutter, add the rest of the dry spices to the hot oil.
• Fry for a minute; make sure they don’t burn, but release their lovely aroma.
• Add the cawliflower florets & salt to taste. Leave untouched on high for a minute or so to allow the florets to brown a bit.
• Stir well, cover & cook on medium high for about 5 minutes. Then simmer for a further 5 minutes or till tender crisp & done.
• Add dried mango powder if desired & roast well on full heat.