Rogan Josh

This time, we’ll be looking at another popular Indian curry. The English-sounding name is actually a combination of two Persian words: rogan means oil and josh means hot. Originally brought to India by the Mughals, it was in Kashmir that the rogan josh was first adapted.

This type of curry is originally made from sheep (lamb), but the name rogan josh is also used to describe the flavouring itself, and there is even a spice (curry) blend of the same name. Although the spice mix is a perfectly good choice, you can make it yourself if you are well equipped with Indian spices. The interesting thing is that it contains garam masala, which is a spice mix in itself, so it’s a strong combination of flavours.

The preparation of the dish itself is similar to previous curries. So once you have cooked those, you will not fail with this one either.

If done right, the chili will only have a hint of flavour left in the food and will just barely sting. If you increase the proportion of dairy products (yoghurt, sour cream), this minimal tanginess will disappear. 🙂

Rogan Josh

1kg of meat (traditionally leg of lamb, but other types of meat are also possible), diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
4 small green chilies, finely chopped
a nut of fresh grated ginger
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
3 heads of onion cut into thin rings
5 tomatoes (the skins can be peeled off, but I don’t think it’s necessary), diced
2dl yoghurt
2 tsp garam masala
a few sprigs of fresh coriander or parsley, finely chopped

Whatever meat you use, make sure it is lean and trim off the excess fat. Then cut into cubes and fry in a little butter. Add a little salt and pepper and when it is tender, take it out and set it aside.

On a lower heat, fry the spices (ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, garlic, chili) in a little butter. After about 1-2 minutes, when the fragrance and flavours are released, add the onion, and a little later, when the onion has slightly glazed, add the tomatoes. When the tomatoes are cooked through, put the meat back and add 1-2dl of water. Mix well and cook over a low heat until the meat is tender. If it’s chicken, this is quite a short time, if it’s sheep or pork, it’ might be longer. Add more water if necessary. Boil the water off at the end, leaving only the thick sauce.

Mix the garam masala into the yoghurt (or cream, sour cream, milk if you need to) and work the spice mix into it. Pour into the sauce, mix well and remove from the heat. At the very end, stir in the chopped coriander or parsley greens.

Serve with rice or some Indian bread.