Mutton rogan josh is made with soft mutton pieces marinated with yogurt, mustard oil, and lemon juice. It is then cooked with a spicy yogurt mix and a variety of aromatic spices, preferably in ghee. It is quite simple and easy to cook mutton rogan josh at home. My simple recipe will guide you all the way through. Read on.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Mutton rogan josh is a flavorful dish and is popular all over India.
- Serve it with steamed rice, hot butter naan, tandoori roti, or chapati.
- Mutton rogan josh tastes creamy, spicy, sweet, and tangy.
- Other similar recipes are chicken korma, mutton korma, lamb curry, and butter chicken.
The Ingredients:
To marinate the mutton:
- 750 grams mutton
- 5 tbsp mustard oil
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
To make the yogurt mix:
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- 3 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ tsp green cardamom (powdered)
- ¼ tsp black cardamom (powdered)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (crushed)
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp fennel seeds (ground)
To cook the mutton:
- 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 piece cinnamon (2-inch size stick)
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- ½ tsp asafetida (hing)
- 1 tsp black pepper (crushed)
- 6 pieces cloves (powdered)
- ½ tsp black cardamom (powdered)
- ½ tsp green cardamom (powdered)
- ½ tsp fennel seeds (ground)
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups water
- 2 pieces green chilies (optional, broken in halves)
- 1 piece onion (medium size, roughly sliced)
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves (fresh, finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp mint leaves (fresh, finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp Kewra water (optional)
To garnish the dish:
- Coriander leaves (finely chopped, a handful)
- Mint leaves (finely chopped, a handful)
I got this recipe from my elder son’s school librarian. One afternoon, while waiting for a parent-teacher meeting, I noticed her eating something that smelled amazing. I commented about the flavor filling the entire library room, and she said it is what she eats when she wants peace after noisy days.
Getting the recipe from her, I made it that weekend. My husband found it calming, and the boys liked its subtlety. Now, it is our quiet-day dinner. That moment reminded me that people who live among books also carry recipes that feel like well-loved pages—gentle, warm, and best served in silence.
How to Make Mutton Rogan Josh? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take 750 grams of mutton in a bowl and add 2 tbsp of mustard oil, ½ cup of plain yogurt, salt to taste, and 1 tbsp of lemon juice into it; mix them all nicely and keep the bowl aside to marinate.
(Pro tip: Marinate mutton in the marination ingredients, preferably overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours, for best results).
Step 2: Now, take ¾ cup of plain yogurt in a bowl and add 3 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp of green cardamom (powdered), ¼ tsp of black cardamom (powdered), ¼ tsp of crushed black pepper, 1 tsp of ginger powder, and ½ tsp of fennel seeds (ground) into it. Mix them all nicely to make a paste of yogurt. When done, keep it aside.
Step 3: Now, in a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of ghee (clarified butter) on a medium flame. When it melts, add 1 piece of cinnamon (2-inch size stick), 2 pieces of bay leaves, and ½ tsp of asafetida (hing) into it. Stir-fry them for about 30 seconds.
Step 4: At this stage, add the marinated mutton and cook it for about 10 minutes or so on a medium flame.
Step 5: Then, add 1 tsp of crushed black pepper, 6 pieces of cloves (powdered), ½ tsp each of powdered black and green cardamom, ½ tsp of ground fennel seeds, and salt to taste to the mutton. Mix them all very nicely and let it cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Step 6: Now, add the yogurt mix you have made already. Mix it nicely with the mutton to notice the lovely change of color and add 2 cups of water to it. Optionally, you can add 2 pieces of green chilies (broken in halves) into it as well.
(Pro tip: While adding the yogurt mix, put a couple of tablespoons first, mix it nicely, and then add the remaining mix).
Step 7: Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and cook it for up to 3 to 4 whistles.
Step 8: Once the cover is opened, add a piece of roughly sliced medium-sized onion to it and mix nicely.
Step 9: Then, sprinkle 1 tsp of garam masala powder. Mix it.
Step 10: Finally, add a handful of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and an equal amount of mint leaves, along with 1 tbsp of Kewra water, and mix them all nicely with the gravy.
Step 11: Your tasty and flavorful homemade mutton rogan josh is ready to enjoy. Transfer it to a serving bowl, garnish with chopped mint and coriander leaves, and serve hot with steamed rice or Indian bread.
Recipe Card
Mutton Rogan Josh
Ingredients
To marinate the mutton:
- 750 grams mutton
- 5 tbsp mustard oil
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
To make the yogurt mix:
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- 3 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ tsp green cardamom powdered
- ¼ tsp black cardamom powdered
- ¼ tsp black pepper crushed
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp fennel seeds ground
To cook the mutton:
- 2 tbsp ghee clarified butter
- 1 piece cinnamon 2-inch size stick
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- ½ tsp asafetida hing
- 1 tsp black pepper crushed
- 6 pieces cloves powdered
- ½ tsp black cardamom powdered
- ½ tsp green cardamom powdered
- ½ tsp fennel seeds ground
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups water
- 2 pieces green chilies optional, broken in halves
- 1 piece onion medium size, roughly sliced
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp mint leaves fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Kewra water optional
To garnish the dish:
- Coriander leaves finely chopped, a handful
- Mint leaves finely chopped, a handful
Instructions
- Take 750 grams of mutton in a bowl and add 2 tbsp of mustard oil, ½ cup of plain yogurt, salt to taste, and 1 tbsp of lemon juice into it; mix them all nicely and keep the bowl aside to marinate. (Pro tip: Marinate mutton in the marination ingredients, preferably overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours, for best results).
- Now, take ¾ cup of plain yogurt in a bowl and add 3 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp of green cardamom (powdered), ¼ tsp of black cardamom (powdered), ¼ tsp of crushed black pepper, 1 tsp of ginger powder, and ½ tsp of fennel seeds (ground) into it. Mix them all nicely to make a paste of yogurt. When done, keep it aside.
- Now, in a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of ghee (clarified butter) on a medium flame. When it melts, add 1 piece of cinnamon (2-inch size stick), 2 pieces of bay leaves, and ½ tsp of asafetida (hing) into it. Stir and fry them for about 30 seconds.
- At this stage, add the marinated mutton and cook it for about 10 minutes or so on a medium flame.
- Then, add 1 tsp of crushed black pepper, 6 pieces of cloves (powdered), ½ tsp each of powdered black and green cardamom, ½ tsp of ground fennel seeds, and salt to taste to the mutton. Mix them all very nicely and let it cook for another 5 minutes or so.
- Now, add the yogurt mix you have made already. Mix it nicely with the mutton to notice the lovely change of color, and add 2 cups of water to it. Optionally, you can add 2 pieces of green chilies (broken in halves) into it as well. (Pro tip: While adding the yogurt mix, put a couple of tablespoons first, mix it nicely, and then add the remaining mix).
- Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and cook it for up to 3 to 4 whistles.
- Once the cover is opened, add a piece of roughly sliced medium-sized onion to it and mix nicely.
- Then, sprinkle 1 tsp of garam masala powder. Mix it.
- Finally, add a handful of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and an equal amount of mint leaves, along with 1 tbsp of Kewra water, and mix them all nicely with the gravy.
- Your tasty and flavorful homemade mutton rogan josh is ready to enjoy. Transfer it to a serving bowl, garnish with chopped mint and coriander leaves, and serve hot with steamed rice or Indian bread.
