Rogan Josh (Kashmiri Lamb in Red Chilli Gravy)
روغن جوش (کشمیری مرچ کے لال شوربے میں گوشت)
Rogan josh is Kashmir's most famous dish: pieces of mutton in a glossy, deep red gravy with a layer of red oil on top (*rogan* means oil, *josh* means heat or intensity). The colour comes from , which is vivid but mild, so the dish is aromatic rather than fiery. This is the Kashmiri Pandit way, with no onion, garlic or tomato: the flavour comes from yogurt, fennel powder, dry ginger, asafoetida and whole spices. Kashmiri Muslim kitchens make a version with onions and *ratanjot* for colour; both are delicious.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 45 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
- Medium
- Serves 5
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
If using , heat it until it just smokes, then let it cool for a minute. Add the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and let them sizzle.
Add the mutton and the salt and fry on high for 10 minutes until the meat is well browned and the juices have dried. Add the hing water.
Lower the heat and add the chilli paste; fry for 2 minutes until the oil turns red. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the yogurt a little at a time so it doesn't split.
Return to low heat, add the fennel and dry ginger powders and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the yogurt is absorbed and the oil separates.
Add the hot water, cover and simmer for 60–75 minutes until the mutton is very tender and the gravy is thick, with red oil floating on top. Sprinkle with garam masala and serve.
Serve with plain steamed rice, the Kashmiri way.
Kitchen notes
Kashmiri chilli is essential for the colour. If you can't find it, use 2 tbsp paprika plus 1 tsp ordinary chilli powder.
A pressure cooker cuts the simmering time to about 25 minutes.
For the onion-based Muslim-style version, fry 2 sliced onions golden before adding the meat.
A dish of the Kashmir Valley
Rogan josh is part of the Kashmiri wazwan, the grand multi-course feast cooked by hereditary chefs (wazas) for weddings. Its roots are often traced to Persian and Mughal cooking, adapted with the valley’s own ingredients: Kashmiri chillies, fennel, dry ginger and mustard oil.
Two traditions
Kashmir has two great cooking traditions. Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) avoid onion and garlic, and build flavour with asafoetida, yogurt, fennel and dry ginger. Kashmiri Muslims use onions, shallot paste and sometimes the root ratanjot (alkanet) for colour. Both make rogan josh, and Kashmiris will happily argue about which is better.
The red oil
The name describes the finished dish: a gravy so rich that red oil, coloured by the chilli, floats on top. Frying the chilli paste in the oil before adding the yogurt is what tints the fat. Cook slowly and don’t skim it off.
Serving
Serve with plain rice, as Kashmiris do, or with naan. Finish the meal with a cup of Kashmiri chai or qehwa. For another Kashmiri dish, try Kashmiri dum aloo.
Questions people ask
Is rogan josh very spicy?
No. Kashmiri chilli gives a deep red colour with only mild heat. The dish is aromatic and warming rather than hot.
Can I use beef or chicken?
Lamb or mutton is traditional. Chicken works with a shorter cooking time of 25–30 minutes.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 40 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
