A long-time favorite of mine, and very popular in the UK, is this exquisite dish from Kashmir, northern India. Meat-eater or vegetarian, your palate will sing the praises of Rogan Josh! I first enjoyed the dish in 1968, when a very good friend introduced me to it in New York city. I've been hooked ever since.
Unlike the dishes we associate with "curry powder", Rogan Josh is a beautiful red sauce, creamy and lush.
Many recipes use tomato in some form. I have been taught that tomatoes were introduced by European traders, and, therefore, are not native to Rogan Josh. I recommend not using tomatoes in Rogan Josh because they really bring nothing to the table.
I use this sauce with lamb, chicken, goat or beef. It is a slow-cooked dish, so it would be well-suited to the crockpot kitchen. My friend, Lauren CoffeeMuffins, recommends using only chunky vegetables - whole button mushrooms, carrots, Bell peppers and root veggies - a terrific idea for a vegetarian dish!
Accompanied by a well done basmati rice dish and perhaps an Indian-kitchen-inspired vegetable dish or two, this is a perfectly wonderful dish to serve guests who appreciate complex and pleasant flavors, and not a lot of heat.
Rogan Josh runs to the mild- to-medium range of spicy. Not all Indian cuisine will 'light up the night' with heat, and this is one that will not. Rogan Josh is a perfect way to introduce someone to the exquisite culinary heritage of the Indian sub-continent.
Do not be afraid to blend your own spice mixtures - they become the stamp on your signature dishes. All you need, really, is a small electric coffee grinder dedicated to the grinding of your spices. All you need to do is thoroughly clean the grinder after use.
(TIP: 1 Tbs of granulated sugar buzzed for a couple of pulses in the grinder will 'clean' the machine of virtually all residual spice)
Following is how I have come to blend my spice mixure for the regal dish of Rogan Josh. I continue to learn from my more knowledgeable Kashmiri culinary friends. This recipe will provide seasoning for 2-3 lbs of any meat.