Rogan Josh

Rogan josh is lamb braised low and slow in a deep red, aromatic Kashmiri sauce. It is one of the great curries of the Kashmir Valley, and its colour comes largely from a specific dried red chilli rather than heat alone, which is why the dish looks far spicier than it actually tastes.

What it really is

Lamb browns first in ghee with whole warm spices, then braises for a long stretch in yogurt and a base built on Kashmiri dried red chilli, prized for its deep colour and mild, fruity heat rather than sharpness. The braise runs slow and long, well past the point where the meat would simply be cooked through, until it's fall-apart tender and the sauce has reduced into something thick and deeply coloured.

The dish is coloured, not necessarily fiery. A guest expecting rogan josh to be as hot as it looks is often surprised — the Kashmiri chilli that gives it that deep red is chosen specifically for colour and aroma over sharp heat.

How it is served

• In a bowl with steamed rice or naan.
• Garnished simply, since the sauce itself is the point.
• Alongside other Kashmiri dishes on a regional menu, distinct from the North Indian curries it's sometimes grouped with.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the dairy from the yogurt.
• Say that the colour doesn't mean extreme heat, since that's a common and understandable assumption to correct.
• Note if genuine Kashmiri chilli is used, since a substitute changes both the colour and the character of the dish.