Rogan Josh Recipe (Authentic Kashmiri Style)

I first really understood what Rogan Josh was supposed to taste like on our trip to Kashmir. The version we often get in restaurants, loaded with onion, garlic, or tomato, is quite different from the traditional Kashmiri preparation.

Authentic Kashmiri Rogan Josh is beautifully simple: tender meat cooked with yogurt, fennel, dry ginger, and Kashmiri red chilies that give the curry its deep, almost jewel-like color. There’s no onion, no garlic, and no tomato, just a fragrant, warming gravy that tastes of Kashmir in every bite.

In this post, I am sharing a mutton rogan josh recipe I learned from a chef in Kashmir.

What Is Rogan Josh?

Rogan Josh is a slow-braised red meat curry from Kashmir. The name is Persian: rogan means fat or oil, josh means heat or intensity. Together they describe the dish. To make this dish, meat is cooked in fat until the fat turns red and rises to the top.

The dish came to Kashmir with the Mughals and became the centerpiece of Wazwan, the traditional Kashmiri wedding feast. Today it’s served at weddings, festivals, and any dinner that needs to impress.

The red color comes from two things: a generous amount of Kashmiri red chili powder, and an optional herb called ratan jot (alkanet root) steeped in ghee. Neither adds much heat. Kashmiri chili is mild, and ratan jot is all color.

Two Ways Kashmiris Make It

Kashmiri Pandit style: This style of cooking rogan josh omits onions and garlic. This is the recipe below.

Kashmiri Muslim style: This version uses fried shallots and garlic, often as a paste called praan. I’ve included the onion-garlic variation further down if you prefer it.

How To Make Mutton Rogan Josh

Preparation

Step 1: Soak 1 pinch of saffron strands in 2 tablespoons of hot milk and set aside. Lightly crush the following whole spices in a mortar and pestle. Crush, don’t grind. You want cracked pods, not powder, so the spices flavor the oil without turning the gravy gritty.

• 3-4 black cardamoms
• 4-5 cloves
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 8-10 black peppercorns
• 1 mace

Step 2: Whisk ¾ cup of plain yogurt with the following ingredients until completely smooth. The starch in the spice powders binds the yogurt so it won’t curdle in the pot.

• 3 tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder
• 3 teaspoons fennel powder
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida
• 1 tablespoon dry ginger powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 2 teaspoons salt

Make The Curry

In An Instant Pot

Step 3: Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot. Add 5 tablespoons of mustard oil or ghee to the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the following ingredients and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.

• Crushed whole spices
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-5 Kashmiri dry red chilies
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Step 4: Add 2 pounds (1 kg) of bone-in goat mutton (cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces) and cook for 5-6 minutes stirring now and then. The meat won’t brown deeply; you’re just sealing the surface and coating it in spiced oil.

Step 5: Now add the yogurt mixture and saffron soaked in milk, and mix well.

Step 6: Pour in 1 cup hot water and mix. Hot water keeps the pot at temperature, which helps keep the yogurt smooth.

Step 7: Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position.

Step 8: Press PRESSURE COOK, then set the timer to 20 minutes on high pressure. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually. Open the lid. The meat should be tender enough to pull from the bone with a spoon. If it’s not, close and cook 5 more minutes.

In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Follow steps 3-7 in a stovetop pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Close the lid, cook until the first whistle, then turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Take it off the heat and let the pressure drop on its own before opening.

Temper The Curry (Optional)

Step 9: Heat ¼ cup ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add a 1-inch piece of ratan jot and cook for a minute, until the ghee turns a deep ruby red.

Step 10: Strain the ghee straight over the curry. Don’t stir it in. That red layer floating on top is the rogan, and it’s the dish’s signature.

Variations

Kashmiri Muslim style (with onion and garlic): After the dry red chilies crackle in step 3, add 1 cup sliced onions and 10–12 crushed garlic cloves. Fry until golden brown, then add the mutton and continue as written. The gravy will be thicker and a little sweeter.

Thicker gravy: Traditional rogan josh is thin, almost soupy. If you’d rather it coat the rice, whisk 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour into the yogurt mixture before adding it. The taste stays the same.

Lamb rogan josh: Swap goat for bone-in lamb shoulder of the same weight. Lamb cooks a little faster; check at 15 minutes.

Boneless: Use boneless goat or lamb, reduce pressure cooking time to 15 minutes, and expect a lighter gravy.

Serving Suggestions

Steamed basmati rice is the classic pairing for mutton Rogan Josh, and it’s the one Kashmiris use. The thin gravy needs something to soak into.

For a dinner party spread, add Kashmiri dum aloo and Kashmiri rajit. The three share the same spice palette (fennel, dry ginger, Kashmiri chili) and go together beautifully.

With bread, go for butter naan, tandoori roti, or a simple tawa paratha. A bowl of sliced onions with lemon on the side cuts the richness.

Storage Suggestions

You can easily refrigerate this mutton Rogan Josh curry. Cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and keep for 4–5 days. The flavor improves by day two.

Reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of hot water, or microwave covered in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between. Avoid boiling it hard; the yogurt can separate when reheated aggressively.

You can also freeze this curry for up to a month. Thaw, reheat, and serve.