Paneer Rogan Josh

PANEER ROGAN JOSH

Rogan Josh in the Kashmir Valley changes its form from one ethnicity to other. The Muslim waza, uses onions and garlic liberally in their preparation while the Kashmiri Pandits in accordance with their holy scripture, the Nila Mata Purana, strictly avoid tomatoes, onions and garlic in this iconic dish. The Pandit recipe stands out in the creative method with which the paneer is cooked in ‘rogan’ or oil and tempered with the ‘josh’ of red chillies and other spices to bring out multiple layers of flavor. This is one recipe that you will want to master the art of.

Recipe

Cut paneer in thick & long pieces : ½kg
Heat oil in a pot to deep fry the paneer
Make sure the paneer does not break while frying. Don't fry all the paneer together.
Pour a glass of Water in a bowl & add a pinch of Turmeric (Haldi) to it
Immediately soak the fried pieces of paneer in the turmeric water to maintain its soft texture
In a different pan, heat oil : 1½ table spoon of
Roast Asafoetida (Heeng): ½ spoon
Sauté Clove (Laung): 1, Cumin (Zeera) seeds: 1 spoon, Bay leaves: 2
Grind a black Cardamom pod (Elaichi) & put it in the pan
Generously sprinkle Kashmiri Red chilli powder (Laal Mirch): 2 tablespoons
Mix everything together
Pour Curd (Dahi) to the roasted spices: 2 table spoon
Mix everything well till the spices & curd release their oil
Salt (Namak): 1½ teaspoon
Now, add the Paneer pieces & its water to the spice mix
Add a glass of water : 1
Cook on high flame for 5 minutes
Add Ginger (Adrakh) powder: ½ teaespoon, Fennel (Saunf) powder: 2 teaspoons, Garam masala: ½ teaspoon, Green Cardamom (Choti elaichi): ½ teaspoon
Mix everything well
Cook on low flame for 20-30 minutes
Garnish it with garam. masala & Elaichi powder : 1/2 teaspoon each
Serve it with steamed rice or roti