How’s the josh? High sir! How’s the rogan josh? Hot sir! It was quite recently that I came in contact with Kashmiri cuisine. With an urge to try different regional cuisines, I landed up at an authentic Kashmiri eatery in Delhi on a bright Sunday afternoon. As I scanned the menu to place my order, I felt a sense of relief to spot a familiar name among the list of items that were stranger to me. It was the famous rogan josh. The order arrived after a long 20-minute wait and the server placed a bowl of the fiery curry along with a pot of steamed rice. The curry looked so inviting that I dug into the food without wasting any moment.
The most interesting thing that happened was that my assumption about rogan josh being a sole Kashmiri delicacy was broken. The hot curry is believed to have arrived in Kashmir via Persia around the 14th century. In fact, the foundation of Kashmiri cuisine itself was laid down with the invasion of Timur-e-Lung. With a large scale migration of skilled workers to the region during the Tughlaq dynasty, what evolved was a unique style of Kashmiri cooking called Wazwan. A huge set of 36 dishes on offer, this traditional meal became an important part of festive celebrations like weddings. Rogan josh was one of the seven main dishes that were fixed in the Wazwan menu. It was these migrated cooks from Samarkand, whose descendants went on to become wazas. These master-chefs used to prepare the lavish feast for the royal court in those days. Later, the dish travelled to Northern India and made a mark in the cuisines of the world.
Breaking Down The Essence
Etymologically speaking, the name rogan josh is a combination of two words, rogan referring to clarified butter and red colour in Persian and Kashmiri language respectively while josh refers to something that is hot and passionate. These two elements of the dish reflect quite clearly when the piping hot curry arrives on your table. Essentially a Kashmiri fare delicacy, the method of preparation is quite diverse in most of the north Indian regions. A food trail within Kashmir itself would bring out significant differences in the way rogan josh is cooked.
Rogan Josh In Two Different Households
The passionate lamb curry of a Kashmiri pandit household would be very different from a Muslim one. A point of divergence in the recipe lies in the fact that Kashmiri pundits prefer a hassle-free rogan josh, flavoured with fennel seeds and asafoetida whereas the latter makes generous use of onion and garlic to give the same strong garlicky flavour. Cockscomb is a regional flower that is used in the preparation in Muslim households, lending the curry a bright red colour. One thing that remains consistent is the distinct flavour and the lack of use of tomatoes or their puree. Kashmiri red chilies are also added to give the dish a mild spice. The aromatic curry with tender mutton pieces is best eaten with steamed rice or even naan.
Well, it is pretty evident now that it is the confluence of Central Asian and Persian flavours with the Mughal cooking techniques and tastes that has given rise to the rogan josh of our present times.
