The aromatic, deep red, spicy curry from the Kashmiri cuisine, Rogan Josh is traditionally a lamb curry savored by meat lovers. With a blend of hot spices like dried ginger (Sonth) & whole garam masala and cool spices like cardamom & fennel, this dish of Persian origins was brought down to Kashmir by the Mughals. “Rogan” essentially means oil and “Josh” essentially means heat. Thus the name Rogan Josh comes from the extensive use of warm spices and red chilies along with a layer of red colored ghee or clarified butter on top.

There are 2 versions of Rogan Josh, one prepared by Kasmiri Muslims using shallots & Kashmiri pearl garlic as base, other prepared by Kashmiri Pandits using yogurt as the base. The red color of the curry comes from the use Kashmiri Red Chili Powder and Ratanjot infused ghee. Ratanjot is the root of a plant which is traditionally added to Rogan Josh for protecting the stomach from high acidity of chilies, in addition to providing the red tinge.

I’ve made the vegetarian version of Rogan Josh following the Kasmiri Pandit style, using nutrela/ soya chunks in place of meat. I’ve also replaced the Ratanjot with beetroot puree for the red color. While traditionally nuts aren’t added to the gravy, I’ve added cashew paste to make the curry thicker. The bold flavor of spices goes very well with the soya chunks and this recipe is sure to please everyone.

Servings: 4
Calories: 250 per serving
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Soaked Soya Chunks/ Nutri Nuggets
• 1 Cup Yogurt
• 3-4 tbsp. Ghee
• 1 Betroot, boiled & pureeed
• Paste of 10 Cashews (Optional)
• ¼ tsp. Saffron
• 2 tbsp. warm Milk
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 2 Black Cardamoms
• 5 Green Cardamoms
• 6 Cloves
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Petal Mace
• ½ tsp. Black Peppercorns
• ½ tsp. Cumin Seeds
• 1 tbsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 1½ tsp. Fennel Seeds Powder
• 1 tsp. Dried Ginger Powder
• ½ tsp. Garam Masala
• ½ tsp. Heeng/ Asafoetida
• ¼ tsp. Turmeric Powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 Cup Water

Method:

1. Prepare the Soya Chunks by soaking them in hot water for 15 minutes and squeezing out the soaked water.
2. Whisk the yogurt well and keep on the counter so that it reaches room temperature. Also, soak the saffron strands in the warm milk.
3. Heat the ghee in a pan, add the black & green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, mace and let it roast for 15 seconds.
4. Add in the cumin seeds and asafoetida and let the cumin splutter.
5. Add in the prepared soya chunks and saute for 1-2 minutes.
6. To the whisked room temperature yogurt, add in all the powdered spices, salt and mix well.
7. Add the yogurt mixture to the pan, gently fold in to coat the soya chunks well and cook the curry on medium high for 5-10 minutes.
8. Once fat starts separating from the masala, add in the cashew paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
9. Now add the beetroot puree, sufficient water to adjust the consistency of the curry and let the it come to boil.
10. Once the curry comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat and cook covered for 15-20 minutes, stirring in between.
11. Add in more water , if required, to adjust the consistency. Also check the seasoning at this point.
12. Finish by adding the saffron soaked in milk.
13. Serve the Nuti Nuggets Rogan Josh Curry hot garnished with mint and fried onions along with rice or naan.

Notes:

1. You can use paneer, fried jackfruit, soya chaap or any meat in place of the soya chunks to prepare the Rogan Josh Curry.
2. If you want to make the muslim version of the curry, use ¾ cup sliced shallots & minced garlic and saute them till brown before adding the soya chunks. Also, reduce the yogurt to half.
3. If you want to use ratanjot for the colour, add in a small piece of ratanjot to 2 tbsp. hot ghee and add this in place of the beetroot puree.
4. Oil has to be used a little liberally in this recipe but I’ve kept it at minimal.
5. You can increase the amount of red chili powder and spices to your liking.