Rogan Josh

One of my travel regrets is that I did not get a chance to explore more regions of India when I lived there. The US is about three times the size of India. I guess I could have the same regret about not traveling to more regions of the US having spent as much of my life here as in India. It is not a fair comparison though. While the 50 US states are marked by distinctive geographical features and natural landmarks, they do not offer the variety in languages, clothes, food, and culture that distinguish the different regions of India. I think very few people who have not lived in India realize this about the country. It is truly baffling to think of a country where the human landscape changes so dramatically every couple of hundred miles. So, I regret not having experienced more of regional India when I lived there. When we visit India now, we try to explore at least one of the different regions. Given that our trips are not very frequent and we are always pressed for time when we are there, it will be a long time before we get to all the places I want to visit.

Kashmir, that pristine Himalayan valley, often referred to as heaven on earth, is probably going to be one of those places that I do not get to anytime soon. The political situation in Kashmir has been heavily charged since my childhood with tensions escalating between the Kashmiri people and the current Indian government in the past couple of years. My experience of Kashmir is limited to books, documentaries, and movies that have helped establish my dreamy and melancholic perception about this region. Kashmiri food, which is not part of mainstream Indian cuisine, is also an enigma for me. I don't think there are any restaurants out side Kashmir that serve exclusively Kashmiri food. Lamb Rogan Josh is thee only Kashmiri dish that is most consistently featured in north Indian restaurants where it is difficult to distinguish in the lineup of other heavy, tomato-based meat stews.

When I started reading about Rogan Josh -- which loosely translates to meat braised in ghee (roghan), I was surprised to find that despite the fiery red color of the preparation, the meat is actually treated very delicately without the usual accompaniment of onions and garlic. I was also surprised to find that even though the dish references ghee in its name, it is actually cooked in the pungent mustard oil that is typically used to cook fish in eastern India. I also learned that typically, Rogan Josh is a dry preparation, the gravy consistency adjusted depending on whether it is being served with rotis or rice. Armed with this newfound knowledge and with a renewed resolve to explore more regions of India, I made this Rogan Josh -- replacing the lamb with goat meat because that is what I had in the fridge. I also used my trusty old pressure cooker to speed up the process. You can use an Instapot as well.

Don't be intimidated by the color of this preparation -- it is actually not very spicy -- and you can control the level of heat by reducing the amount of Kashmiri red chili powder. Because, unlike what the restaurants would have you believe, Rogan Josh is not just defined by its color or spiciness.

What You Need:
2 lbs. goat meat or lamb (cubed for stews, bone in pieces work best)
2 tbsp ginger paste
1/3 cup yogurt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 black cardamom pods
4 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaf
2 tsp asafoetida powder
Pinch of mace powder
11/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (could be substituted with half and half combination of paprika and cayenne powder)
2 tsp roasted fennel powder
2 tsp cumin powder
3 tbsp mustard oil
11/2 tbsp ghee
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Directions:
Wash goat/lamb pieces and pat dry.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot, pressure cooker, or Instapot in sauté mode.

Add all whole spices -- cinnamon, cardamom pods, bay leaf, adding cumin last when you start hearing the other spices sizzle.

Add asafoetida and stir the spices around for a few seconds.

Add meat pieces and stir fry with the spices over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes.

Add ginger paste, mace, and chili powder. Continue stir frying for another 6-8 minutes.

Add yogurt and salt to the meat mixture and continue stir frying till the yogurt is absorbed by the meat. The mixture in the pot should be relatively dry at this point.

Add 2 cups of warm water and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

From this point, cooking time will vary depending on whether you are using a regular pot, pressure cooker or Instapot. In a regular pot, cook covered for about 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently and adding small quantities of liquid at a time to maintain a thick consistency.

In the pressure cooker or Instapot, cook in high pressure for about 20 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally. You should still have a cup of liquid left in the pan.

When the meat is fully cooked, add the sugar, cumin, and fennel powder and bring the stew up to a simmer again. I left some gravy as I was serving with rice. If you are serving with rotis, you can cook longer to reduce thee amount of liquid in the pan.

Add 11/2 tbsp ghee. Give a good stir and remove from heat.