Dhaba Style Rogan Josh
If someone told me to drop everything this instant and do the one thing I love the most I would pack up my bags, top up my car and just drive. There is something about the open road that fascinates me. Family trips around the country side is our most favorite thing. There is not much to be said about Indian roads but that discomfort aside it is an amazing experience.
And of course the food!!! We have traveled in our car all over Rajasthan, Gujrat, Punjab, Meghalaya, Sikkim...we have been to Moreh, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cherrapunji on four wheels and have sampled some of the best meals available on roadside. One meal that I will always remember is in a little hamlet in Manipur. We were hungry yet wary of what kind of food might be available. There was only one run down dhaba and we had no other choice. But the food I had there was awesome and that was not just because we were so ravenous. It was simple homely grub and nothing that I could identify. There were lots of green leafy vegetables, local veggies and local rice. And I realized that it is not the ambiance that counts, not the liveried waiters, not the Michelin stars, not the food reviews...it matters when you cook from your heart!
One thing I have not yet been able to understand is why does the food in a langar taste so yum? Why are we unable to replicate the taste of dhaba food in our kitchens? Is it is the earthiness , the sweat, dust and grime, the charcoal fire, the slow cooking on a tandoor???
This is a typical rogan josh recipe, however I have cooked it in the traditional way..not on a cooker but slow simmering on a charcoal tandoor. And it has made all the difference to the taste.
Ingredients
800 gm mutton, cubed
300 ml yogurt
Whole spices
2 black cardamoms
8 green cardamoms
5 cloves
2 tsp cumin seeds
cinnamon stick
10 Kashmiri red chillies
2 bay leaves
Spice mix
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp fennel seeds, powdered
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp green chilly paste
Fire up the tandoor.
Grind the whole spices in a mortar pestle to get a rough powder.
Heat some oil and fry the mutton pieces till well browned.
Add the ginger garlic paste and the whole spice powder and fry for about 10 minutes.
Add the Spice mix and continue frying. Add salt according to taste. Add the yogurt and wait till it starts simmering.
Then cover and cook for about 40 minutes.
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