Kashmiri Rogan Josh Food

KASHMIRI ROGAN JOSH

Steps:

• Using a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar, grind the black and green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cumin seeds and chillies to a fine powder and set aside.
• In the small bowl of a food processor, whizz together the garlic and ginger with a good splash of water to a purée. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan, add the lamb and brown well for 8-10 mins over a high heat. Add the purée and turn the heat down to medium, stirring constantly, as the mixture begins to reduce. The purée is ready when you see clear oil in the pan, this will take 3-5 mins.
• Give the yogurt a good stir to break up any lumps, then add half of it to the pan. Cook over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly and briskly, folding the yogurt into the lamb, for 8-10 mins until it has been fully absorbed by the meat. Repeat with the next batch of yogurt, stirring constantly as before. Once it is boiling, turn down to a simmer and stir occasionally until it has reduced by about a third. Add the reserved ground spices, the ground coriander and some seasoning.
• Cook for a few mins, stirring continuously, then cover with a lid and leave over a low heat for 1 hr 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. If the sauce looks dry, add a splash of water.
• Grind the fennel seeds to a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, then add to the pan with the garam masala, ground almonds and some black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then cook for 1 min. Sprinkle over the coriander and serve with naan bread, if you like.

KASHMIRI ROGAN JOSH

Steps:

• Grind the fennel seeds until fine.
• Put the yoghurt in a bowl and beat it with a fork until smooth and creamy.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over a high flame.
• When hot, put in the cinnamon and cloves.
• A second later, put in the ground asafetida.
• A second after that, put in all the meat and the salt.
• Stir the meat an cook, still on a high flame for about 5 minutes.
• Now put in the paprika and cayenne and give the meat a good stir.
• Slowly add the yoghurt, a small amount at a time, stirring the meat vigorously as you do so.
• Add all the yoghurt this way.
• Keep cooking on high heat until all liquid has boiled away and the meat pieces have browned slightly.
• Add the fennel and ginger.
• Give the meat some more good stirs.
• Now put in the water or broth, cover so as to leave the lid very slightly ajar, and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.
• Cover completely and cook on low heat for another 45 minutes or until meat is tinder.
• Stir a few times as the meat cooks, making sure that there is always some liquid in the pot.
• Remove the lid and add the garam masala.
• You should have a thick, reddish brown sauce.
• If it is too thin, boil away some of the liquid.

LAMB ROGAN JOSH

Steps:

• For the lamb preparation: Chop lamb into bite-size pieces. In a bowl, combine lamb, yogurt, salt, turmeric and lemon juice and mix together. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the lamb with water to draw out impurities and any gamey odors.
• For the curry: Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard oil and allow it to smoke. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Spoon in the ginger paste and garlic paste and saute until slightly browned, about a few minutes.
• Toss in the lamb pieces and saute until the lamb begins to shrink and develop a nice shine, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the asafetida and salt and saute for 1 minute.
• In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup water with the chile powder, fennel powder, garam masala, ginger powder and turmeric. Add this mixture to the saucepan. Saute until you see the oil bubbling up, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the yogurt and stir well for about 2 minutes. Add 2 to 3 cups water.
• Cover the pan and simmer on medium-low heat until the lamb is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the fenugreek leaves. Allow it to settle down, covered, for about 20 minutes.
• When ready to serve, spoon the curry out into bowls. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with a side of basmati rice, chapati or naan.

ROGAN JOSH (KASHMIRI LAMB CURRY)

Steps:

• Paste:.
• Soak chillies in hot water, to cover, for 5 minutes. Dry toast almonds, ground coriander, cumin and poppy seeds in pan over low heat until spices brown slightly and become aromatic. (Shake pan so spices don't burn.) Place into a food processor with garlic, ginger, onions and chillies and blend until smooth. You may need to add a little of the chile soaking water to help the blending.
• Dry toast the saffron strands in the small pan. Be careful not to burn. In a small bowl crush with the back of a spoon then add 2 tablespoons of boiling water to dissolve. Add to the paste mix and set aside.
• Curry:.
• Heat ghee in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry cardamom pods, turmeric and paste mix and fry, stirring constantly, until ghee begins to separate from mixture.
• Stir in yoghurt, a spoonful at a time.
• Add tomatoes, garam masala and salt and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes.
• Add lamb and stir over high heat to coat with with spices.
• Reduce heat to very low, cover and cook for 1 hour or until the lamb is very tender. (It should not be necessary to add any liquid). Stir occasionally to prevent spices from sticking to base of pan.
• Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves and accompany with rice.

KASHMIRI ROGAN JOSH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the black peppercorns, black and green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, and mace, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the spices are sizzling and fragrant.
• Add the chopped onion, and fry for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly, or until golden brown. Add the lamb pieces, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continually, until the lamb pieces are golden brown all over.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the garlic cloves, and ginger, with 1 tablespoon of water to a fine paste. Add the garlic and ginger paste to the lamb mixture, stir well to combine, and then reduce the heat, and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Stir in the ground coriander, cumin, red chile powder, fennel seeds, garam masala, tomato pulp, yogurt, and salt, to taste. Cover the pan with a lid, and then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the sauce has almost completely dried out.
• Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of boiling water to the sauce, stir well and simmer for a further 7 to 8 minutes, stirring continually and adding splashes of water as necessary, until the volume of liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened.
• Add enough boiling water to almost cover the lamb, and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the lamb is cooked through.
• Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro just before serving.