Seasonings · Profile
Rogan Josh Seasoning: Kashmiri Versions, Store Blends and What Makes It Red
Rogan josh seasoning is the spice mix for rogan josh, the red lamb or mutton curry of Kashmir. In Kashmir it is not a single blend: Hindu Pandit and Muslim cooks make the dish differently, and both get its color from dried Kashmiri chilies plus a natural red colorant, cockscomb flower (mawal) or alkanet root (ratan jot), according to food writer Tara Deshpande.1 Store-bought “rogan josh seasonings” sold in the U.S. and U.K. are different again, built on paprika, chili and the warm curry spices.23
At a glance
| The dish | Rogan josh, a Kashmiri curry of mutton or lamb1 |
| Name | Persian; Deshpande gives roughan as “oil” and josh as “to boil”1 |
| Shared spices (Kashmiri versions) | Dried Kashmiri chilies, green and black cardamom, cinnamon1 |
| Red color | Kashmiri chilies with mawal (cockscomb) or ratan jot (alkanet root); saffron and turmeric in one version1 |
| Store blends | Paprika-based mixes of chili, cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and more23 |
| Meat | Mutton or lamb; Penzeys also suggests beef12 |
Four named versions side by side
The two Kashmiri versions below are full recipes, so only their spices and colorants are listed. The two store blends are ingredient lists without quantities.
| Spice or colorant | Kashmiri Pandit version (Deshpande)1 | Kashmiri Muslim, Wazwan version (Deshpande)1 | Penzeys Rogan Josh Seasoning2 | The Spicery Rogan Josh Blend3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kashmiri chili | 1 to 2 tsp, roasted and ground | 8 dried, stalks and seeds removed | none | Yes |
| Other chili | none | none | Cayenne | “Chilli” |
| Paprika | none | none | Yes (listed first) | Yes |
| Green cardamom | 3 whole | 3 whole, plus ground seeds to finish | Cardamom | Yes |
| Black cardamom | 1 | 2 | none | Yes |
| Cinnamon | 2-inch stick | 3 pieces, about 2 inches | Yes | Yes |
| Cloves | none | 3 | Yes | Yes |
| Bay leaf | 1 large | none | none | Yes |
| Asafoetida | 1/4 tsp | none | none | none |
| Aniseed powder (saunf) | 1 tsp | none | none | none |
| Dried ginger | Used (in the method) | none | Ginger | Ginger |
| Garlic | none | 3 Kashmiri or 6 to 8 regular cloves | Garlic | none |
| Cumin, coriander | none | none | Both | Both |
| Turmeric | none | 1/2 tsp | none | Yes |
| Saffron | none | 8 strands | Yes | none |
| Black pepper | none | none | Pepper | Yes |
| Others | none | none | none | Fenugreek, mace, nutmeg |
| Red colorant | 1/4 cup ratan jot, or 50 g mawal, or 1/2 tsp beet powder | 50 g dried mawal flowers | none | none |
The two Kashmiri recipes share only Kashmiri chili, the two cardamoms and cinnamon.1 The Pandit version uses no garlic or onion, replacing garlic with asafoetida and aniseed, and it is cooked with yogurt; the Muslim version uses garlic and no yogurt.1 The store blends add cumin and coriander, which neither Kashmiri recipe lists, and rely on paprika.23 Penzeys says its version comes from Rajasthan rather than Kashmir.2
A fifth version sits between the two kinds. PepperScale’s homemade rogan josh seasoning is a dry blend like the store ones, with cumin and coriander, but it is built on Kashmiri chili: 2 tablespoons of dried Kashmiri chilies ground to powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons each ginger powder and ground coriander, 1 teaspoon each paprika and ground cardamom, and 1/2 teaspoon each cayenne, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and salt.4 It has no red colorant, no black cardamom and no saffron. PepperScale describes it as very aromatic from the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, and suggests using it as you would other curry powders, including in eggs and as a dry rub for red meat.4
Where the red comes from
The Kashmiri versions get their red color in layers. Both use dried Kashmiri chilies.1 PepperScale credits Kashmiri chilies with mild heat and a bright red color, and rates them at 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units, a conventional range for the pepper rather than a measurement of any batch.45 The Pandit version adds ratan jot, which Deshpande describes as a kind of wood shaving known as alkanet root, or mawal, dried cockscomb flowers; she offers beet powder as a fallback.1 The Muslim version uses mawal, saffron and turmeric.1
Tomato is sometimes used for color instead. Deshpande considers that incorrect, a substitute used when mawal and ratan jot aren’t available.1 Store blends lean on paprika instead.23
Name and origin
Deshpande writes that the name rogan josh is Persian, that roughan means “oil” in Persian and josh means “to boil,” and that the techniques and ingredients behind the dish are diverse.1 She names the dish’s elaborate feast setting, the Wazwan, and describes Central Asians, some of whom came to be called Mughals, among the groups that shaped Kashmiri culture.1
Two common claims could not be traced: that rogan shares a root with a word for “red,” and that the Wazwan has exactly 36 courses. Neither appears in the source we checked.
How to use it
- For the curry. Penzeys suggests browning 2 pounds of lamb or beef in oil, removing it, browning a large minced onion, then adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of seasoning and 1 teaspoon salt, the meat, 1 cup water and 1/2 cup yogurt, and simmering 1 to 2 hours. For a stronger result it suggests 2 tablespoons per pound.2 The Spicery blends its mix into an onion, garlic, ginger and tomato sauce.3
- Heat. Deshpande’s Muslim version removes the chili seeds;1 Penzeys calls its blend “just a little spicy” and suggests extra cayenne for more heat.2
- Making it Kashmiri style. If you can find Kashmiri chilies and mawal or ratan jot, Deshpande’s two recipes are a starting point.1
Buying
Check what you are buying: a paprika-based U.S. or U.K. blend will not taste like a Kashmiri rogan josh made with mawal and aniseed. The Spicery’s label warns that its blend may contain celery, mustard and sesame.3
Health
No health claim for rogan josh seasoning is supported by the sources we checked. For one of its ingredients, NCCIH says it is unclear whether cinnamon supplementation helps diabetes, and that research doesn’t clearly support using cinnamon for any health condition.6
Related
- Garam masala, curry powder and Madras curry powder
- Indian spices and spices for lamb
- Asafoetida, black cardamom and saffron
- Paprika and paprika vs cayenne
Footnotes
-
Tara Deshpande, “The truth about Rogan Josh,” Free Press Journal, 2019. freepressjournal.in · Publication ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18
-
Rogan Josh Seasoning, Penzeys Spices. penzeys.com · Merchant ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9
-
Rogan Josh Blend, The Spicery. thespicery.com · Merchant ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
-
Matt Bray, “Homemade Rogan Josh Seasoning”, PepperScale, 2024. pepperscale.com · Publication · PepperScale is also owned by Matt Bray, the editor of this site. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
-
Matt Bray, “Kashmiri Chili Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses”, PepperScale, 2023. pepperscale.com · Publication · PepperScale is also owned by Matt Bray, the editor of this site. ↩
-
Cinnamon: Usefulness and Safety, NCCIH. nccih.nih.gov · Regulator ↩