Rogan Josh is an aromatic lamb curry dish. It originated in Northern India, and is particularly associated with Kashmir. 'Roghan' means oil in Persian & Urdu, probably indicating the cooking medium (although some argue that it is a reference to its characteristic red color) and Josh is a corruption of 'Gosht', meaning meat. It's said to have been first made and tasted at the court of the Nawab of Lucknow.

Recipes vary widely across different locations and traditions, but all include lamb, onions, oil or ghee (clarified butter),

and a mixture of spices -- which may include paprika for its red color, aniseed, cloves, cumin, cinnamon, and many others. Many variations have ginger, garlic, and yoghurt, and some use tomatoes.

The following recipe for Kashmiri Rogan Josh comes from Mrs. Balbir Singh's famous cookery book called simply "Mrs. Balbir Singh's Indian Cookery" first dated 1961 and published by Mills and Boon.

Ingredients: 1.5 lbs (680g) mutton 2/3 pint (230g) yogurt 1.5 salt 3/5 pint (360g) water 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves 1/2 oz shredded ginger 3 ounces pure ghee 3/4 teasponful of dried ginger (sonth) A small grain of asofoetida (hing) 1.5 teaspoonful of red pepper 1/2 teaspoonful of Kashmiri garam masala (blend of black cumin, brown cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, mace and nutmeg)

Method: Mix ghee, yogurt and meat together. Add crushed asafoetida, salt and dried ginger. Cook while stirring until liquid dries. Add a little water and continue to cook until dry again. After 2-3 times, add the red chilies and repeat cooking until dry and adding water until meat is tender. This process should take about 60 to 70 minutes of repeatedly drying out the stew until meat become fork tender.

Next add Kasmiri garam masala, shredded ginger and chopped coriander. If possible bake pan with charcoal under and on top. Otherwise heat in oven at 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit for another 30 minutes.

Serve with simple rice or chapati.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)