Mutton Roganjosh is a mouth-watering traditional Mutton Curry recipe from Kashmir, India. Rogan means Oil and Josh means Intense Heat.  This dish has a fiery red color and a creamy texture, slow cooked. Rattan Jot root is used to attain the signature red colour in this dish.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Mutton (Goat Meat) – One and half kg – curry cut pieces.  Washed and rinsed with water.
  • Sarson ka Tel (Mustard Oil) – 3/4th Cup.
  • Kashmiri Laal Mirchi (Red Chili) powder – 4 to 5 tbs.
  • Saunth powder (Dry Ginger powder) – 3 tbs.
  • Soaf (Fennel seed) powder – 4 tbs.
  • Rattan Jot (Bark from Rattan Jot tree) – 2 to 3 inch size piece.  Easily available in any Indian Food store.
  • Dahi (Yoghurt) – 2 and half cup.  Whisked.
  • Shahi Jeera (Cumin seeds) – One and half tsp.
  • Jaiphal (Nutmeg) – about 1/4th tsp.
  • Badi Elaichi (Black Cardamom) – 2 pieces.
  • Lawang (Cloves) – 8 pieces.
  • Choti Elaichi (Green Cardamom) – 12 pieces.
  • Dhaniya (Coriander) powder – 2 tsp.
  • Garam masala powder – 1 tsp.
  • Jeera (Cumin) powder – 1 tsp.
  • Hing (Asafoetida) powder – 2 and half tsp.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Ghee (Clarified Butter) – 2 tsp.

Method:

  • Take a mortar and pestle.  Add jaiphal, badi elaichi, choti elaichi and crush it in to a fine or coarse powder.  Separate and remove the skin of badi elaichi and choti elaichi.
  • Take a large Kadai of any deep vessel.  Add 3/4th quantity of mustard oil and heat it up until it starts to smoke.  This removes the pungency of the mustard oil.  Then turn off the flame and allow the oil temperature to come down.
  • Add lawang and shahi jeera.  Allow it to crackle.  Then add hing powder and mutton pieces.
  • Mix it properly and keep stirring / frying the mutton on high heat until the released water has dried up.  This make take some time.
  • Add kashmiri laal mirchi powder, saunth powder, jeera powder, garam masala powder, dhaniya powder, 3/4th quantity of soaf powder, salt to taste, and add little water.  Mix it properly. Fry the powder masala with mutton on high flame for about 3 minutes.
  • Add whisked dahi and mix it properly.  Fry the dahi along with mutton on high flame until the dahi has dried up and dahi starts to release its on oil on the surface.  Continuously keep stirring it.
  • Add crushed choti elaichi, badi elaichi and jaiphal powder.  Mix it properly.
  • Add 3 to 4 cups hot water (not cold) in to the mutton and mix it properly.  Cover it with a lid and cook the mutton on low flame for 20 to 30 minutes or until the mutton has cooked perfectly.  Keep checking and stirring from time to time to prevent it from burning or sticking at bottom of the kadai.
  • After the mutton has cooked to perfection, add remaining soaf powder and mix it properly.  Leave it on low flame.
  • To prepare the Rogan, take a small tadka (tempering) utensil and add remaining mustard oil.  Heat the mustard oil until it smokes properly.  Then reduce the flame to low.  Add 2 tsp of ghee and heat it up again.
  • After the oil / ghee is hot, add the Rattan Jot bark and turn off the flame.  Keep mixing the Rattan Jot in the hot oil until it releases its own natural colour. 
  • Take a strainer on top of the Kadai (cooked mutton) and pour the hot Rogan (Rattan Jot oil) on the strainer to strain out the Rattan Jot bark.  Mix it well and cook the mutton for another five minutes on low flame with lid covered.  Then turn off the heat.
  • This gives the deep red colour to “Kashmiri Mutton Roganjosh” dish.
  • Kashmiri Mutton Roganjosh is ready to be served along with roti, chappati, naan, paratha or jeera / steamed rice.
  • Happy Eating.