Rogan Josh with onion , Garlic and Mawal

Rogan Josh with Onion , garlic and Mawal 

I always like trying out different versions of one dish but when there are two distinct versions of the same dish then it is time to make both of them and guess what each version  can hold its own. A few weeks back I had made Rogan Josh as a tribute to the Kashmiri Pandit style of cooking. 

Quite naturally I was eager to make the other version used by the Muslim community in Kashmir but there was one big glitch. This other recipe has to use Mawal aka dried cockscomb flower and I was not sure I would get it in Calcutta. All I can say is I was worried for nothing. I had a faint faith in my New Market and I was hoping that I would get it there. So when Pritha and I went ingredient shopping I went to my old shopkeeper and my problem was solved. He gave me the prim and proper mawal and told me that it is different from ratan jot which is used by many for Rogan josh but is not the original stuff. God Bless this ancient market of Calcutta.

Ah I knew I had to make this delightful delicacy. I even got delightful lamb from New market and treated my friend Anusree before I left for Mumbai for 3 months. This leaving of my own city always make sme feel depressed. Its a whole other thing that my green husband doesn't touch any meat but I guess I love my city an emotion I was made aware of only post marriage.

Anyway back to the recipe. I followed the Waza Brother's recipe and here it goes :-

1 kilogram lamb
1 tbsp garlic paste
100gm clotted ghee / 1 cup of melted ghee
Salt as per taste - I required 2 tsp
8 green cardamom
4 cloves
1 tsp ground black pepper
A fat pinch of saffron soaked in little water
1 cup of Mawal aka cockscomb flower steeped in 1 cup of boiling water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1.5 tbsp Kashmiri Chili powder
1.2 litres of water
3 onions

Wash the meat well and bring the water and meat to a boil in an open pressure cooker and take out the scum that forms and then add salt and garlic paste and turn the heat down to the lowest possible flame and put the lid on and let the pressure build up on its own. After the first whistle switch off the gas-stove and let the steam come out on its own.

In the meantime heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry the chopped onions and then cool it down and blend it. Bring the mawal and the water to a boil and then cover and leave it. Soak the saffron in a bit of water.

Now open the pressure cooker and take out the meat. Bring the stock to a boil.    

In the same pan in which you have fried the ghee heat the rest of the ghee and temper the cloves and when they splutter switch off the gas and add 1 tbsp water and cover it.

Now add the crushed cardamom to the boiling stock and lower the heat and add the meat, onion paste, turmeric and the ghee with the cloves and then bring it to a boil and boil on medium heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes  add the Kashmiri chili powder, strain the Mawal water and add it and then and saffron soaked in water. Simmer for sometime and serve with hot plain rice.

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