The Rogan Josh Recipe You Need to Try (Kashmiri Red Curry with Meat) {video}

This Rogan Josh recipe is a beautiful red-colored, complex-flavored curry dish with Persian origins that’s a staple in Kashmiri cuisine.

I first made this dish at home after trying it at my favorite Indian restaurant back home in Buffalo. It was deep red in color with a rich flavor and complex aroma. The spiciness was prevalent, but mellowed out with nuttiness of basmati rice and cooling yogurt raita.

It was perfect.

I’m going to show you how easy it is to make this restaurant-quality curry at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s a restaurant-quality meal right in your own kitchen. You don’t have to go to a restaurant for an amazing curry. You’ll be surprised at how easy this is to make, and amazed at how delicious it is!
• If you have a well-stocked spice drawer you probably already have everything on hand to make it. And if you don’t, you can find any of the components right in your regular grocery store without the need for a trip to a specialty store.
• This dish is naturally low carb. With just 5 grams of net carbs per serving, it’s easy to incorporate this meal into a low carb or keto lifestyle! You can serve it with cauliflower rice to keep the carbs down.
• Leftovers are even better. Like most curry recipes, this one tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had the chance to marry.

The Best Rogan Josh Recipe

The Mughals, whose cuisine had Persian influences, originally brought this delicious curry to Kashmir. Seeking relief from the summer heat in the Indian plains, the Mughals would travel to Kashmir, which was cooler. Along with them they brought knowledge of their favorite recipes.

(Read more about the history of Rogan Josh on Wikipedia.)

Ingredients

• Clarified butter (ghee)
• Beef, lamb, or goat
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Cardamom pods
• Bay leaves
• Whole cloves
• Sweet paprika
• Salt
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Yogurt
• Beef stock

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sear the Meat and Fry the Aromatics and Spices

Heat the ghee over medium to medium-high heat in a 5-quart pot. When it starts to ripple, sear the meat on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until the onion starts to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, paprika, salt, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne, and fry until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Step 2: Incorporate the Yogurt

Use a wooden spoon to push the beef and onions to one side of the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt to the empty area, stirring continuously until it blends in; continue this way until all the yogurt is added.

Step 3: Add the Liquid and Let it Cook

Add the beef stock, bring the mixture up to a boil, and then put a lid on it, turn it down to a simmer. Let it cook until the meat is tender and the curry is thickened, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

Remove the cloves and bay leaves, and taste and season with additional salt and black pepper.

Step 5: Garnish and Serve

Garnish with cilantro and red onion. If desired, serve with Salad Shirazi and basmati rice or cauliflower rice.

How to Store This Recipe

This curry keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Kashmiri Rogan Josh FAQs

Why is Rogan Josh Called That?

The origin of the name Rogan Josh is somewhat uncertain, as there are multiple reasonable etymologies. The first etymology explanation comes from the word roughan, which means “oil” or “clarified butter” in Persian and Urdu, along with the word juš or josh, meaning “to braise”. Rogan Josh would then mean “stewed in ghee”.

Another possible explanation for the origin of the name is that roghan comes from the Urdu word for “red” or “brown” or the Kashmiri word for “red”, as well as the word for “meat” (gošt or gosht). Rogan Josh would mean “red meat”. (Read more about the etymology of Rogan Josh on Wikipedia.)

What Does Rogan Josh Taste Like?

Rogan Josh is rich with clarified butter, aromatic with spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, deep red in color because of paprika, and complex with a base flavor of onion, garlic, and ginger.

One of my favorite things about Rogan Josh is that because there’s quite a bit of paprika in it, it reminds me of Hungarian Goulash, which my mom cooked frequently when I was a kid. Because of this, even though I never tasted this curry until I was an adult, its taste always reminds me of my childhood.

Is Rogan Josh Curry Spicy?

This is traditionally a relatively spicy-hot dish (it usually has about a medium spice level).

When you’re ordering it at a restaurant you can ask for a milder spice level and some places are able to accommodate. However, when you make this dish at home it’s very easy to adjust the level of spicy heat.

Pro Tip: When you make this recipe, easily adjust the level of spicy heat by adding more or less cayenne pepper.

What is Rogan Josh Made Of?

Traditionally, authentic Rogan Josh contains red meat, usually lamb or goat. However, although it’s not traditional, I also make it with beef, which is quite delicious.

The meat is braised in an aromatic gravy containing garlic, ginger, and spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Kashmiri chilies, which have a flavor similar to paprika, give the dish its red color. I had trouble finding Kashmiri chili powder so I used a combination of sweet paprika and cayenne pepper to achieve a close simulation.

As with most regional food, different versions of Kashmiri Red Curry with Meat include different ingredients. Some recipes call for onion, shallot, and/or yogurt, and sometimes the spices vary. Additionally, some versions of this dish use saffron. However, tomatoes are not a traditional component of this dish.

What Should I Serve with Rogan Josh?

It’s common to eat this curry along with rice to soak up the lovely Rogan Josh sauce. (Nutty and aromatic basmati rice is perfect!) A low-carb option is to serve it with cauliflower rice.

My favorite way to enjoy this recipe is with Salad Shirazi, which is a salad comprised of the following:

• Diced cucumber, tomato, and onion
• Minced parsley
• Dressed with olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar
• Seasoned with salt
• If I can find them, like to add pomegranate arils for sweet/tart flavor
• Additionally, you can switch it up by using different aromatics like fresh mint, chives, scallion, etc.

It makes a beautiful meal with exotic flair!

More Delicious Curry Recipes to Try

• Indian-Spiced Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala)
• Indian Butter Chicken
• Palak Paneer
• Dal Makhani (Indian Butter Lentils)
• Indian Punjabi Samosas
• Authentic Chicken Vindaloo

This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on April 15, 2010. It was updated with more information on February 28, 2022. As a point of comparison to show how much my photography has evolved, I kept one of my original photos (below).