Topic: Rogan Josh

[tempest63]

This recipe is from Camellia Panjabi and appears in her book 50 Great Curries Of India. The book is a must, and this recipe from it has appeared on the web in numerous instances. The recipe produces the finest home cooked Rogan Josh that I have been lucky to sample.

Rogan Josh by Camellia Panjabi

Rogan means meat fat and josh literally means heat, though figuratively it means intensity. Traditionally fatty meat on the bone was used for making rogan josh and it was slow cooked in its own fat, with extra added for an intense flavour. In these days of cholesterol consciousness, however, we avoid animal fat and use a minimum amount of oil. The dish gets its heat and intensity from the lavish use of body heat-inducing spices such as large black cardamoms and cloves.
The hallmark of the dish as cooked in Kashmir is the liberal use of the true Kashmiri red chilli, which has a mild flavour but gives a bright red colour.
The Muslims there use praan, a Kashmiri shallot that has a garlicky flavour, and maval, the petals of the cock'scomb flower. The latter gives the curry an even brighter red colour and is supposed to have cooling properties. The Hindus of Kashmir do not use praan or any onion or garlic but give body or
flavour to the curry by the addition of yoghurt. The spice distinguishing Kashmiri rogan josh from those made in other parts of India is fennel powder. Camellia Panjabi combines the recipes of both Hindu and Muslim communities and replaces exotic ingredients with those that are easily available. The curry is mildly spicy and has a ravishing flavour. It is traditionally eaten with boiled rice but can also be eaten with rotis or a saffron pulao.

Ingredients
700g stewing lamb or chops
250g lamb bones for adding flavour
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2.5 teaspoons chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri) or 2 teaspoons chilli powder and 1 teaspoon paprika
100ml full fat yoghurt
250g shallots, chopped
50ml ghee or oil
4 cloves
2 large black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
2 cinnamon or bay leaves
1 blade of mace
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground ginger
0.25 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt to taste-about 1.25 teaspoons

Method
1. Boil the lamb and bones with the garlic and half teaspoon salt in 1.2 litres of water in a cooking pot for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove the meat and set aside. Skim off any scum and strain and reserve the cooking liquor.
2. Make a paste of chilli powder and/or paprika by mixing with a little water. Whisk the yoghurt and set aside.
3. Fry the shallots in the ghee or oil in a pot until lightly browned; this will take about 12 minutes. Add the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon or bay leaves and the mace and fry for 1 minute. Then add the coriander, fennel, ginger and turmeric powders, and the chilli paste and 2 tablespoons reserved
cooking liquor and stir continuously. After 2 minutes add the meat. Saut? for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the yoghurt, stir well and saut? for a few minutes.
4. Add salt to taste, together with 800ml reserved cooking liquor. Cook until the meat is tender. Before serving remove the cinnamon or bay leaves, the large cardamoms and mace if intact.