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The beetroot effect
The fat-free chukandar rogan josh is sure to delight the health conscious
 Rogan
josh is the quintessential mutton dish
that has the imprint of Kashmir deeply embossed on it. It does not claim
to be a korma from the imperial dastarkhaan but has successfully
held on its own against all pretentious rivals for generations. There
was a time before Partition when this delicacy, along with a
well-made`A0shami`A0kebab,`A0occupied the pride of place
on the well-heeled Punjabi gentleman’s table.
Rarha meat
was considered much too rustic to be offered to guests. As years passed,
different curries popular with the British masters made inroads into the
Indian kitchen but we digress.
To return to rogan josh,
the signature dish owes its name to extra ruddy complexion that is a
gift of ratanjot (cock’s comb flower). The Pandits, who had
their home in the Valley, prepared rogan josh eschewing onion and
garlic and flavoured it with dried fennel and ginger powder. There was
also a hint of asafoetida that lent it unique character. However, this
was the recipe for the purist.
We have greatly enjoyed
rogan josh at roadside`A0dhabas`A0that was enriched with onions,
garlic and tomatoes. Another characteristic of traditional rogan josh is
that it has almost no gravy — just the colourful fat floating on the
plate that is part of its name. This is the reason the health-conscious
have been avoiding it in recent years.
We are delighted to share
a recipe with our readers, which lightens the dish fat-wise but darkens
the colour without the ratanjot that is hard to come by. The
trick use for the treat is good old beetroot.
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Chukandar rogan josh
Ingredients
 Mutton (culled
from shanks and shoulder) 500g
Beetroot 250 gm
Dried ginger
powder 1 tsp
Fennel powder 1
tsp
Kashmiri red
chillies ½ tsp
Kashmiri garam
masala ½ tsp
Mustard oil ½
cup
A pinch of hing
Salt to taste
Method
Wash, peel and quarter the
beetroot. Wash and pat dry the meat trim. Heat oil in a
thick-bottomed pan till it reaches smoking point. Then, lower heat
to medium. Dissolve the hing in little water and put in the
oil. Stir briskly. Add red chilli powder and follow immediately
with the meat pieces. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes till the
mutton becomes well brown and the raw smell is gone. Now put in
the chukandar, along with the powered spices and salt. Stir
to blend. Add a couple of spoonfuls of water, if required. Cover
and cook on low heat for another 15 minutes or till the meat is
done. If you like some more gravy, you may slowly stir in half a
cup of dahi during the second half of cooking. Just ensure
that the dahi is cooked. |
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