Rogan Josh - Kashmiri Mutton Curry

Rogan means meat fat and Josh means heat and literally Rogan Josh translates into fatty meat slow cooked with intense flavour.  The dish gets its heat from the use of  black cardamoms and cloves. The use of Kashmiri chilli imparts bright red color to the dish. In the traditional method, dried red Kashmiri chillies are soaked in hot water and ground to a fine paste. While in the current short cut method we use store bought Kashmiri chilli powder.

Ingredients:
1. Mutton - 1 kg
2. Garlic cloves - chopped - 6
3. Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
4. Curd - 1/2 cup
5. Black cardamoms - 1
6. Cloves - 4
7. Mace - 1 blade
8. Green cardamoms - 2
9. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
10. Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon
11. Shallots - 1 cup
12. Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
13. Fennel powder - 1/2 teaspoon
14. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
15. Salt to taste
16. Oil or ghee - 3 tablespoon

Method:
1.  Pressure cook meat along with salt, turmeric powder, garlic cloves and 2 cups of water for upto 5 whistles on medium flame.

2. Whisk the curd and set aside. Also mix Kashmiri chilli powder in a tablespoon of water and make a paste.

3. Heat a thick bottomed vessel and heat 3 tablespoon of oil/ghee. Add chopped shallots and saute until they turn translucent. Add ginger paste and fry for a minute.

4. Add black cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms and mace and saute for a minute.

5. Reduced the flame to sim and add coriander powder, feenel powder, Kashmiri chilli powder paste and yogurt and give it a good mix.

6. Remove just the meat from pressure cooker and add to the masala. Give it a good mix and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Now add the liquid from pressure cooker and cook for another 20 minutes until the meat is tender.

Traditionally Rogan Josh is served with boiled rice but it takes good with roti as well.

I am linking this recipe to “Sshh cooking secretly” event. For the July event and I am paired with Sujitha Ruban. She gave me yogurt and garlic as my secret ingredients and I made this dish. I gave her Kashmiri chili and ginger and she came up with a flavourful Kashmiri chicken curry. Do visit her blog to check the recipe.