There are times - like cold and dark days - when one feels like a warm stew. This one comes from the non-vegetarian minority in Indian gastronomy and it has Persian origins :). It's specific to the region of Kashmir in India, and known since ancient times in Iran. It's usually made with lamb, but beef is not an uncommon replacement. In Persian, "Rogan" means clarified butter or fat, while "Josh" means hot, heat or passionate :). "Rogan" also means the red color, stemming from the same Indo-European root which is the source for the French "rouge" or the Spanish "rojo". These little details make me inexplicably giddy :).
To get to the dish itself, it contains beef or lamb cubes slowly stewed in a tomato and spice pasta, enriched a bit with light yogurt, and all served on a bed of simple basmati rice. It takes a while to make, but it's one of the dishes where the long cooking time really pays off: the meat becomes more and more tender, and the flavors blend and fall in love with each other more and more. Enjoy :)
Recipe source: here.
Last year: Orrecchiete with onion and sage sauce.
Two years ago: Flammkuchen (Tarte flambée) (Alsacian).
Three years ago: Baby making and no cooking. :)
What I like about lamb meat is its highly traditional background (back to biblical times), but also its continued use and presence in modern food culture. According to an article in Saveur (forgot when it was published, but sometime last year), it's still the most consumed type of meat in the world! (Ok, counted together with young goat meat, but still). I wouldn't have imagined that, would have guessed chicken or something. Or beef considering all the burgers. But then again, if you think about the Middle East AND many parts of the western world too (like Great Britain or France) that have lamb meat on the menu so often, it kind of makes sense.
I confess that I was reluctant to it in my youth, but at least for culture's sake I overcame my initial wariness.
I cooked this with my mom sometime last year during the Easter holidays. Since Easter is approaching again (for us at least - we're Orthodox), I decided now it would be a good time to share the whole menu here. :)
The back-strap part of a lamb is one of the most tender and juicy you can get. Ours were a gift from Bogdan's grandma and were long marinated in a red wine and spice combination that left them even more tender and insanely flavored.
The side-dish of spring potatoes with ramps and pine seeds matched the meat wonderfully.
But the real star of the dish that elevated it to a whole new level of goodness was the mint and pine sauce (sort of pesto-like) that we drizzled all over the roast meat pieces. You can see both of these wonderful additions in the picture above of the final dish.
If you plan to make this spectacular menu, it will be easier than you think and the fanciest roast lamb dish you've ever had. Enjoy :)
Last year: Sincronizadas with cheddar, turkey ham and guacamole (Mexican).
Two years ago: Ricotta and black olives crostini, Carrot, ginger and caramel marmalade, Quick fried banana breakfast (Kewra-flavored) and Simple black and white loaf cake (cozonacel).
