R for Rogan Josh - The Kashmir Special

R for Rogan Josh - The Kashmir Special

So  now we come to R. And the signature dish from Kashmir with R is Rogan Jash. But before we move to Rogan Josh , let's look into these as well.

Rugra from Jharkhand is a special Mushroom and is prepared in its own way over there. Some use potato along with it.

The desserts Ras Pua is lip smacking originating from Bihar. The Rasogulla from West Bengal & Orissa is part of each sweet shop across India. Ras Malai is another sweet, we love to take in festivals. 

Rajma Chawal - from Punjab is one of the most common working lunch for rice lovers along with Chhole Chawal & Kadhi Chawal in northern India.

Rui Bhapa is special fish prepared in mustard paste and mustard oil (esp Rohu), a speciality of the fish loving state, West Bengal.

Now lets come to Rogan Josh - a characteristic of Kashmiri Food. It is an aromatic traditional dish with mutton (alternatively lamb, chicken, beaf is used) and dry red chilies where deep red spicy curry has thick layer of clarified butter.  This is typical Mughal dish with Persian origin. Rogan Josh is a combination of two Persian words - Rogan meaning oil and Josh - meaning intense passion. As the name specifies the dish is mutton or lamb meat cooked under intense heat.

There are two varieties of Rogan Josh prepared in Kashmir. The Muslims use onion & garlic along with other ingredients where as the Kashmiri Pandits use only Youghurt along with spices.

The specialty of Rogan Josh is the red colour which is developed by use of Kashmiri mirch and Ratan Jot a root of a plant having a deep red color.

Let's make the Mutton Rogan Josh without onion and garlic - the pandit style.

Ingredients

·                     1/2 kilogram mutton , Preferably leg

·                     4 tablespoon clarified butter (Ghee)

·                     2 pieces black cardamom

·                     1/2 teaspoon saffron

·                     1 teaspoon garam masala powder

·                     2 tablespoon whisked curd

·                     salt to taste 

Fresh Garam Masala

·                     1 piece bay leaf

·                     2 -3 pieces of green cardamom 

·                     1 petal mace

·                     1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 

·                     1 inch of cinnamon stick 

·                     1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds 

·                     muslin cloth 

Spice Mix

·                     1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder 

·                     1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder 

·                     1 tablespoon fennel seeds powder 

·                     1 teaspoon asafoetida powder 

·                     1/2 teaspoon red chili powder 

Preparation 

 Fresh Garam Masala for Mutton Rogan Josh

On a muslin cloth take 1 bay leaf, 2-3 whole green cardamom, 1 petal of mace, half teaspoon coriander seed,  half teaspoon cumin seeds, 1-inch cinnamon stick and bundle it into a bale and keep aside.

Spice Mix For Mutton Rogan Josh

In a small bowl add asafoetida powder, dry ginger powder, fennel seeds powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, red chili powder with 3 tablespoons of water. Mix as paste and keep aside.

 Kashmiri Mutton Rogan Josh

Take a heavy bottom pan and pour the 4 tablespoons clarified butter in it and heat it on medium-high flame. Add black cardamom, roast it for 1-2 minutes. Add the mutton pieces fry till outer coating of meat turns brown. Keep stirring. When the outer coat of mutton get brown from all the sides add the masala paste and saute. Add half tsp of saffron, salt as per  taste. When the masala is mixed properly and  2 cups of water to it. Put the whole spice bundled bale into it. Cover and cook it on high flame for 5 minutes and let the mutton simmer. After 5 minutes turn the flame to low and let the mutton cook with spices for 40- 50  minutes on low heat.

After 50 minutes open the lid, check the mutton and the colour. If the mutton is tender enough and gravy red, with butter on top , add 1 tsp of garam masala powder along with 2 tablespoons of whisked curd. Mix it well and again cook covered for another 30 minutes on low flame.

After 30 minutes remove the lid and remove the spice bundle from the gravy. The Rogan  Josh is ready . Serve with steamed rice. 

Aditya Sinha

21.04.2020

A - Appam, B- Bhutte Ka Kees, C - Chhena Poda , D - Dhuska, E - Eromba F- Fish Curry (Goan) , G - Gulaoti Kebab, H - Halwa Paratha, I- Idiyappam, J - Jadoh, K- Kafuli, L- Litti Bharta, M - Misal Pav, N -Nati Kodi Polusu , O - Obattu. P- Pittha, Q- Quail Fry

Other Genres in the Challenge : 

English Poetry

Hindi Poetry

Short Story

Regional Food

Q for Quail Fry or Kada Fry from Tamil Nadu

Quail or Bater was considered as one of the most tender meat and served on Indian Dining table in almost all parts of India. Kada Fry (or quail fry) is characteristics of Chettiars of South India esp TN.

Ingredients

Quail/ Kada kozhi-  5

For Marinating:

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

Kashmiri chilly powder- 2 tsp

Pepper Powder- 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp

Fennel powder- a pinch

lemon juice- a few drops

Cornfloor-1/2 tsp(optional) 

Salt to taste

Curry leaves- a few

Thinly sliced ginger- 1 tsp

Oil for frying

Clean and  dry the quail and make two or three cuts. Mix all ingredients listed under marinate as a smooth paste. Marinate the meat for half an hour.

Heat 2 cups coconut oil, in a pan on medium high temperature. Fry in batches, one side for about four to five minutes. When one side is crispy turn around and fry the other side.

Add the curry leaves and the sliced ginger at this stage for more flavor and taste. 

Fry till the kada/quail  is cooked and crispy. It will take around 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle few drops of lemon juice and serve hot.

Jodhpuri style roasted quail & Quail Biryani are also some of the royal dishes of India.

Quinoa is another grain that has gained popularity now a days and is used as a substitute for wheat. Quinoa Khichri, Parridge, Stew and soup are some common dishes


Aditya Sinha
20.04.2020

Other Recipes as part of A to Z challenge 2020 :

A - Appam, B- Bhutte Ka Kees, C - Chhena Poda , D - Dhuska, E - Eromba F- Fish Curry (Goan) , G - Gulaoti Kebab, H - Halwa Paratha, I- Idiyappam, J - Jadoh, K- Kafuli, L- Litti Bharta, M - Misal Pav, N -Nati Kodi Polusu , O - Obattu.           P- Pittha

Other Genres in the Challenge : 

English Poetry

Hindi Poetry

Short Story

Regional Food

Adi

P for Pittha from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh

P for Pittha from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh

So almost half way down ... Its P for today. Lots of common as well as uncommon dishes. To start with it is Poha - the morning breakfast from MP especially Indore.

Puran Poli - we already talked about when we discussed Obattu yesterday. Difference is that it has its taste towards Maharashtra style wherein Chana dal & Jaggery is used for stuffing.

Pork with bamboo shoot is a characteristic food of Nagaland.

Pongal is from Tamil Nadu a popular rice and lentil devoured in breakfast. 

Pootha Rekulu is  a popular Sweet East Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh where in wafer-thin rice starch layer like paper is stuffed with sugar, dry fruits and nuts. 

Papaya Khar is synonymous to Assam. 

Pav Bhaji is enjoyed as a street food across India . But a relatively healthy regional food is Pittha as it is called in Bihar & Jharkhand. or alternatively called Farra in MP, Chattisgarh & UP. 

Peettha (Pittha ) or Farra is enjoyed as snacks as well as complete food in dinner with green chutney or ghughni.

Ingredients:

For Covering :

2 cup Rice , soaked for 4 hours, strained and ground in a fine paste or 1 cup rice flour

For Stuffing :

1 cup Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal) or Masoor Dal, soaked for 3 hours

2 Green Chillies , chopped

1 inch Ginger, peeled and chopped

3 cloves Garlic

1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)

1/4 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon Ajwain (Carom seeds)

1 teaspoon Sunflower Oil

Salt , as per taste

Finely chopped Coriander (Dhania) Leaves for garnish

Oil for greasing

Prepartaion

Preparation of Dough

Take the rice paste and dilute the batter by adding water to make it thin and free flowing batter. Add salt and oil 2 tbsp to the batter and mix well.

Transfer the batter to a heavy bottom kadai cook on a low flame stirring the batter constantly. Take care that no lumps are formed. Keep stirring till it turns into a soft dough. This may take 15 to 20 minutes on low flame.

Alternatively dough can be prepared by slowly adding warm water to rice floor and salt mix and kneading to fine dough.

Prepartaion of Stuffing

Take strained soaked dal and grind dal along with green chillies, ginger, garlic, salt, carom seeds cumin seeds and pepper corns to make a coarse paste. Avoid additional water.

Heat a kadhai over low flame, take a tbsp of oil and add add the ground paste. Keep stirring till the dal cooks well and they get a powdered/crumbly texture. This step will approximately take 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the chopped dhania leaves. The stuffing is ready

Prepartaion of Pitthas

Grease your hands with oil and take lemon size portions of the rice dough and using your hand shape them into balls. Work when the rice dough is still warm for better result. Keep the rice dough covered with a damp cloth or a lid to keep it moist while you are making balls. Make a cup and fill one spoon full stuffing. Seal the ends gently by pinching the ends using greased fingers. Repeat the same for the entire batch.

Cooking of Pitthas

Take a large wide base kadhai or cooker and take three to 4 glass of water and boil. In the boiling water place the pithas one by one and boil them for 10 –15 minutes. Once they rise they would be cooked. Drain water and serve hot with Green Chutney or /and Ghooghni .

                                          

Pithas can also be fried with rai & curry leaves tadka after cutting in pieces to be used as a tea time snacks.

Enjoy.

Aditya Sinha

18.04.2020

Other Recipes as part of A to Z challenge 2020 :

A - Appam, B- Bhutte Ka Kees, C - Chhena Poda , D - Dhuska, E - Eromba F- Fish Curry (Goan) , G - Gulaoti Kebab, H - Halwa Paratha, I- Idiyappam, J - Jadoh, K- Kafuli, L- Litti Bharta, M - Misal Pav, N -Nati Kodi Polusu , O - Obattu

Other Genres in the Challenge : 

English Poetry

Hindi Poetry

Short Story

Regional Food