This is a version from Camellia Panjabi from her "50 Great Curries
of India" and can be found at http://www.realindianfood.com/contentrecipe.htm. These recipes are based on curries served at a restaurant that Camellia Panjabi was involved with in India and show that a restaurant curry can follow the roots of the authentic dish.

I always use a Madhur Jaffrey recipe for Rogan Josh and I always use this recipe for Dhansak

DHANSAK - CHICKEN COOKED WITH LENTILS AND VEGETABLES
Dhansak is the best-known and liked dish in Parsee cuisine. The Parsees fled
from Persia to avoid religious persecution in the thirteenth century and
settled on the Western Coast of India, in what is now Gujarat State. They
adopted Gujarati as their language and absorbed local influences into their
cuisine. Dhan in Gujarati means wealth, but in Parsee Gujarati Dhaan means
rice. Sak means vegetables. Dhansak is a meat, vegetable and lentil curry
eaten with caramelized brown pulao rice. It is often eaten at Sunday lunch
but is not served on auspicious occasions since it is customarily eaten on
the fourth day after a funeral.


Although there are many ingredients, it is quite simple to prepare. The
dhansak masala may be available in some Indian grocers, but Parsee sambar
masala has not yet found its way to the West


Serves 6


3lb (1.4kg) chicken, cut into 6 or more pieces
10oz (300g) toor dal (whole dried variety)
20z (50g) tamarind pulp
2in (5cm) square piece of fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves
2 large onions, chopped
7oz (200g) red pumpkin, chopped
5oz (150g) aubergines, chopped
1 potato, chopped
? cup fresh dill, finely chopped
? teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup + 1 tablespoon coriander leaves


20 leaves fresh mint
Salt
? cup oil
? bunch fresh fenugreek or 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
3 teaspoons Parsee sambar masala
2 teaspoons dhansak masala
1 teaspoon cumin powder
3 teaspoons coriander powder
3 tomatoes, chopped
6 green chillies, chopped
1 tablespoon jaggery or palm sugar
juice of 1 lime


  a.. Make a chicken stock with the bones, neck, giblets and trimmings.
  b.. Wash the toor dal and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Soak the
tamarind in 1 cup water for at least 30 minutes.
  c.. Chop 1?-in (4cm) piece of the ginger and 4 of the garlic cloves.
  a.. In a large cooking pot, put the dal to cook in 3 cups chicken stock along with
the onions, pumpkin, aubergines, potato and dill. Add the turmeric, whole
remaining piece of ginger, remaining 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of the
coriander leaves and 8 of the mint leaves. Simmer until the dal is very
soft. Allow to cool slightly. Liquidize with an egg-beater to achieve a
creamy consistency. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.
  a.. While the dal is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry
the chopped ginger, garlic, 1 cup coriander leaves, 12 mint leaves,
fenugreek, sambar masala, dhansak masala, cumin and coriander powders,
tomatoes and green chillies and fry for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the chicken and saut? for 2 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and
stir well.
  a.. Add the chicken to the dal with 3 cups chicken stock. Add the
jaggery. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through before adding the
tamarind water and lime juice; adjust for salt, then simmer for a couple of
minutes. It is now ready to serve.
This is a straightforward and tasty recipe for dhansak. Parsees who are
fastidious use a mix of dals - 7oz (200g) of toor dal and 1 tablespoon each
of moong, masoor and val dal.


Dhansak powder in packet form is available at Indian grocers. If unavailable
use 1? teaspoons garam masala and ? teaspoon star anise powder and ?
teaspoon nutmeg powder.


Instead of Parsee sambar masala make the following mix: ? teaspoon fenugreek
powder, ? teaspoon mustard powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and ?
teaspoon ground pepper.

Quote from: Cory Ander on July 08, 2007, 12:26 PM
Hi T63, 

Thanks for the recipes T63 

Are you on a mission to post as many Rogan Josh Recipes as you can T63???  Or do you just like traditional style Rogan Josh!  ;D

Which is your favourite?......

Hi,
Rogan Josh is my favourite curry of all time...unless it is something else! tastes change and mad yearnings fly in and out with me.

If I have a dinner party I cook a number of recipes and I always do the Madhur Jaffrey one with onions and ginger. There are so many flavour levels in this recipe, it is very deep and rich. I am trying to find a chicken recipe with the same depth of flavour, Any suggestions?

T63

Which is your favourite?......
[/quote]

It would seem that Traditional Tandoor recipes are few and far between so if you manage to own your own tandoor can I suggest the book "Tandoor" by Ranjit Rai if you are hunting for recipes.

I don;t know if anyone has posted this link before. If they have feel free to remove but it is a website showing how to build a tandoor in the garden

http://piers.thompson.users.btopenworld.com/background.html

32 Bryanston St
London, W1H 7EG

www.laportedesindes.com

Walk through the small entrance, down the corridor and come in the restaurant that was once an old ball room I believe.

Spread over two floors the food here is out of this world.

Pat Chapman used their kitchens for his photos in the curry bible

It is several years since I was in Paris and after trying a couple of curry houses I gave up as the fare was so poor. Everything tasted as if it had been made with the same two or three spices and really was not nice. I am glad that they seem to have improved. I am pondering a trip back to Paris in the spring so I may get a chance to give this place a try.

I also recall being in Moscow during 95/96 and the curry we got over there was very similar to that which I recall from Paris. After three years in Russia and three Russian winters, including one in Siberia building a Pepsi Factory, I certainly harbour no ambitions to go back and see if they have improved. One memory that sticks right out from the Moscow curry scene was asking the way to the toilet. I entered the room and there was the toilet. One toilet, on its own in the centre of what could have doubled as a ball room. Very weird.

Madhur Jaffreys Rogan Josh
From Madhur Jaffreys Indian Cookery (A BBC Book)

2 1" chunks fresh ginger, peeled, coarsley chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tablespoons water plus 275ml water
10 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds (900g) boned lamb shoulder or leg -- cut into 1" cubes
10 whole cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
10 whole black peppercorns
A 1" stick cinnamon
7oz (200g) medium onions, peeled, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
4 teaspoons red paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
11/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
6 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the ginger, garlic and 4 tablespoons of water into the container of an
electric blender. Blend well into a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium-high flame. Brown meat cubes in
several batches and set aside in a bowl. Put the cardamom, bay leaves,
cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon into the same hot oil. Stir once and wait
until cloves swell and the bay leaves begin to take on color. This just
takes a
few seconds. Now put in the onions. Stir and fry for 5 minutes or until the
onions turn a medium-brown color. Put in ginger-garlic paste and stir for 30
seconds. Then add the coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and the salt.

Stir fry for another 30 seconds. Add the browned meat cubes and the meat juices. Now
put in 1 tablespoon of the yogurt and stir and fry for about 30 seconds until yogurt is well blended. Add the remaining yogurt, a tablespoon at a time in the same way. Stir and fry for another 3-4 minutes.

Now add 1/2 pint (275ml)water and bring the contents of the pot to a boil,
scraping in all the browned spices on the sides and bottom of the pot.

Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour or until meat is tender. (alternatively place it in a pre-heated oven at 350F/180C for the same length of time) Every 10 minutes give the pot a good stir to prevent burning.
When the meat is tender, take off the lid, turn the heat to medium high
and simmer off some of the liquid, stirring all the time, until you have a thick coating sauce.

Sprinkle the garam masala and black pepper over the dish and mix them in
just before you serve it.

This is the Kofta Curry that appeared in the first version of Camellia  Panjabis 50 Great Curries of India. It never appeared in any of the subsequent revisions so here it is for your delectation. This is my favourite Kofta Curry and the flavours differ greatly from any other that I have tried. I have reduced the amount of fluid used by 20 per-cent and the original recipe cited ground fennel in the gravy but gave no quantity. I estimated the amount as 11/2 teaspoons but if keeping in proportion with the ground ginger used in the kebabs it would be 2 teaspoons. Trial and error is the key.

Kebab (Kofta) Curry
This is a curry made with long kebabs of mined lamb. It is a recipe from a leading Kashmiri family. They call it a kofta curry and say that long kebabs absorb the flavour of the curry more evenly than the round ones. The koftas are very tender and the gravy thin but full of flavour.

Ingredients
For kebabs
2lb (900g) very finely minced lamb
3 teaspoons fennel powder
11/2 teaspoons ginger powder
11/2 teaspoons red chilli powder
6 large black cardamoms
1 tablespoon oil
Salt
1 egg

For the gravy
5 tablespoons full-fat yoghurt
6 tablespoons oil
8 cloves
2-in (5-cm) cinnamon stick
4 small tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons red chilli powder
1 tsp ginger powder
11/2 teaspoons fennel powder
Salt

Method
1. To make the kebabs, mince or process the lamb once more until it is
very fine.
2. Mix the fennel and ginger powders. Remove the seeds from the cardamoms and pound until crushed. Mix all the spices with the minced lamb in a bowl. Add the oil, salt to taste and the egg and mix well.
3. Keep a bowl of warm water handy to dip your hands into when making the kebabs. Take a handful of the minced meat, about the size of a lime, and roll it to a 3-inch (7.5-cm) sausage. Place on a flat dish or tray. You will get about 30 kebabs which, when cooked, will shrink to a 2-in (5-cm) length.
4. To make the gravy, whisk the yoghurt and set aside.
5. Take a cooking pot with a diameter of at least 10-12 in (25-30cm) - it can be a shallow one - into which the kebabs will fit without breaking. Heat the oil in the pot over a low heat. Add the cloves and cinnamon first, then after a minute or so add the tomatoes. Fry until the liquid from the tomatoes has almost evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste.
6. Add the chilli powder and fry for a minute, and then put in the yoghurt.
Stir continuously to prevent the yoghurt from curdling. Add the fennel
and ginger powders, season and cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time.
7. Add 4 cups hot water and bring to the boil. Very gently lay in the
kebabs one at a time. Leave to cook for about 20 minutes over a low heat. The kebabs will absorb a lot of the water. Do not stir once the kebabs are put into the pot. If the gravy needs to be stirred, hold both sides of the pot and rock it gently.
8. Taste and add more salt if necessary, mixing it first with water and pouring it into the pan in various places. You will know when the dish is
totally ready, as oil will rise to the top of the gravy.

If the kebab curry is to be reheated before serving, remove from the heat just as the oil begins to rise to the surface and set aside. Then reheat gently for 5-7 minutes, before serving.

If the mince is fatty, add 2 eggs instead of 1, and when the kebabs are made up, steam them for 10 minutes, allowing the fat to drip off before putting the kebabs into the pot.

Rogan Josh,
Kashmiri style
From Veena Chopra's Real Indian Cookery.

Ingredients


1 tblsp whole coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
4 cloves
4 peppercorns
1 inch cinnamon
2 black cardamoms, seeds only
Heat a flat frying pan on medium heat and roast the above spices until
golden brown. Leave to cool and then grind in a coffee grinder or pestle and
mortar to a powder.


1 tblsp dessicated coconut
1 tblsp ground almonds
1/4 tsp ground mace
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Heat a frying pan on medium heat and roast these ingredients until brown.


5 tblsp ghee or oil
1 tsp onion seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
500g boned lamb, cut into 4cm pieces, fat trimmed and wahsed
1/2 tsp ground red chilli or rogan mirch
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 cup tinned tomatoes
1/4 pint natural yoghurt
1 green pepper, cut into pieces
2 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp sugar
To garnish:


1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tblsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 small green chilli, chopped


Method


Heat ghee or oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Fry
onion seeds for 30 seconds. Put in the onion, garlic, ginger and bay leaves
and fry until golden brown. Mix in the meat pieces and fry for five minutes.


Stir in the red chilli or rogan mirch, turmeric, salt and the roasted
ingredients, then the tomatoes and cook until all the liquid has been
absorbed and the ghee/oil appears on the surface of the mixture. Add the
yoghurt and cook again until all the liquid has been reduced.


Add the water and green pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for
ten minutes. Add lemon juice and sugar and cook for one minute. Sprinkle
over garnish before serving.


Serve hot with chapattis, raita, dhal, rice and stuffed aubergine.

Julie Sahni's Lamb In Fragrant Garlic Cream Sauce.  (Rogan Josh)

Serves 6 to 8 persons


Marinade


4 medium sized onions weighing in total about 1 lb, peeled and roughly
chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh root ginger
2 tablespoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 1/4 lb natural yoghurt
4 oz soured cream
1 tablespoon salt
3 fl oz melted ghee or 4 oz melted unsalted butter


Other Ingredients


3 lb boneless lean lamb, preferably from the leg, cut into 1? inch cubes
4 tablespoons of ghee or 1 oz melted unsalted butter mixed with 2
tablespoons of light vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon black cumin seeds crushed, or 2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1-teaspoon garam masala
8 fl oz double cream
Milk or water if required


Method


1. Put all marinade ingredients except the ghee into a food processor and
blend to a fine pur?e.
2. Place lamb in a large bowl, pour over the marinade pur?e and then the
melted ghee and mix thoroughly ensuring all the meat is well coated. Cover
and let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or 2
to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate remember to remove the
meat from the fridge at least 2 hours before cooking)
3. Put the meat in a heavy bottomed, preferably non-stick, pan along with
the marinade. Place pan over medium-low heat and gently bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until meat is very tender. The lamb should
take 2 to 2-1/2 hours to reach this stage and should be pierced with a fork or
skewer without any resistance. Stir frequently and gently throughout the
cooking period to prevent the sauce sticking and burning.
4. Heat the 4 tablespoons ghee in a small frying pan over a high heat. When
it is very hot add the garlic, stirring rapidly for 15 seconds. Immediately
add the cumin, cardamom and garam masala. As soon as the spices sizzle and
give off an aroma, about 5 seconds, turn off the heat and pour the contents
of the frying pan over the meat. Add the cream and stir to combine all the
ingredients. Let the meat rest for 2 hours at room temperature.
5. When ready to serve, check for salt then reheat until piping hot and
serve.