From the valleys of Kashmir to the tables of Moti Mahal around the world, Rogan Josh represents the extraordinary journey of Indian cuisine—where tradition, migration, craftsmanship and regional flavours come together.
Few dishes capture the character of Indian cuisine as beautifully as Rogan Josh. Aromatic, richly coloured and deeply flavoured, this celebrated Kashmiri preparation has travelled far beyond its Himalayan home to become a favourite of Indian food lovers across the world.
The story behind Rogan Josh
Rogan Josh is strongly associated with Kashmir, although its culinary ancestry reflects the centuries of Persian, Central Asian and Indian influences that shaped the cuisine of the region.
The name is generally understood to have Persian roots, with rogan referring to oil or fat and josh conveying heat, intensity or passion.
Over generations, Kashmiri cooks developed distinctive versions of the dish. The result is a preparation in which tender meat is slowly cooked with aromatic spices to create a rich and intensely fragrant gravy.
Traditional Kashmiri versions are particularly known for their beautiful red colour, achieved through the use of Kashmiri chillies and other traditional ingredients, rather than relying on the heavy tomato-and-cream gravies commonly associated with some modern restaurant versions.
Like so many great Indian dishes, Rogan Josh is therefore not simply a recipe—it is a culinary journey.
Rogan Josh and the Moti Mahal philosophy
The story of Moti Mahal is itself a story of culinary journeys.
Kundan Lal Gujral, the founder of Moti Mahal, established the original Moti Mahal in Peshawar in 1920. Following Partition, he migrated to India and established Moti Mahal in Delhi in 1947.
From the legendary tandoor to the restaurant table, Moti Mahal became associated with dishes that helped introduce the richness of North Indian cuisine to diners across India and eventually the world.
While Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani are among the preparations most closely associated with the Moti Mahal legacy, our menu also celebrates the extraordinary regional diversity of Indian cuisine.
Rogan Josh is an important part of that story.
Our secret: the Moti Mahal spice blends
At Moti Mahal, we believe that consistency is an essential part of culinary heritage.
When a customer walks into a Moti Mahal restaurant anywhere in the world, we want that customer to experience the familiar flavours and aromas that have made the brand special for generations.
That is why we produce our own carefully developed spice blends for our restaurants.
Our proprietary Moti Mahal spice blends include preparations such as:
- Butter Chicken Masala
- Dal Makhani Masala
- Mutton Rogan Josh Masala
- Biryani Masala
- Tandoori Masala
- and other blends used across our culinary repertoire.
These blends are produced in our own facilities and supplied through our restaurant network. This allows our chefs and franchise partners across different locations to maintain greater consistency in flavour, aroma and culinary character.
For us, this is more than a supply-chain system.
It is a way of protecting the taste of the Moti Mahal legacy.
Ingredients can vary from one country to another. Climate, water, produce and local availability can also affect cooking. A carefully developed spice blend helps our chefs reproduce the characteristic Moti Mahal flavour while respecting the original culinary philosophy.
Our loyal customers should be able to travel from Delhi to Dubai, London or another Moti Mahal destination and still recognise the taste they have grown up loving.
Moti Mahal Mutton Rogan Josh
Here is our interpretation of a rich, aromatic Mutton Rogan Josh, using the Moti Mahal Rogan Josh spice blend.
Ingredients
For the mutton
- 1 kg mutton, preferably bone-in pieces
- 4–5 tbsp mustard oil or cooking oil
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2–3 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3–4 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2–3 dried red chillies
- 2 tbsp Moti Mahal Mutton Rogan Josh Masala
- 1–1½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, according to taste
- ½ cup thick whisked yoghurt
- Salt to taste
- 2–3 cups hot water or stock
- 1 tsp fennel powder
- ½ tsp dry ginger powder
- ½–1 tsp kasuri methi, lightly crushed
- Fresh coriander, optional, for garnish
Method
1. Prepare the meat
Clean the mutton and pat it dry. Allow it to come close to room temperature before cooking.
2. Build the base
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the whole spices—cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and dried chillies.
Allow them to release their aroma.
Add the sliced onions and cook until lightly golden.
3. Add the mutton
Add the mutton pieces and sauté over medium-high heat until they are well sealed and lightly browned.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and continue cooking until the raw aroma disappears.
4. Add the Moti Mahal Rogan Josh Masala
Lower the heat.
Mix the Moti Mahal Mutton Rogan Josh Masala with a little warm water and add it to the pot along with the Kashmiri chilli powder.
Cook the spices gently so that their oils are released without burning them.
5. Add the yoghurt
Whisk the yoghurt thoroughly.
Add it gradually, stirring continuously so that it incorporates smoothly into the gravy and does not split.
6. Slow cook
Add hot water or stock, cover and allow the mutton to cook slowly until tender.
The exact cooking time will depend on the cut and age of the meat, but slow cooking is essential for developing the deep flavour characteristic of a good Rogan Josh.
7. Finish with Kashmiri aromatics
Add fennel powder and dry ginger powder.
Now comes the Moti Mahal touch:
Lightly crush the kasuri methi between your palms and sprinkle it into the Rogan Josh towards the end of cooking.
The quantity should be restrained. Kasuri methi should provide a subtle aromatic lift rather than overpowering the traditional character of the dish.
Simmer for another few minutes.
The final Moti Mahal touch
A great Rogan Josh should have a rich, aromatic gravy that clings to the meat, with the fragrance of spices rising from the dish.
Serve it hot with naan, tandoori roti, steamed rice or traditional Indian breads.
And remember—the secret of a memorable Rogan Josh is not simply the number of spices used.
It is the balance of spices, quality of ingredients, cooking technique and patience.
Preserving taste while taking Indian cuisine global
For me, this is what makes the Moti Mahal journey special.
Indian cuisine has always travelled.
Recipes travelled with families, chefs, traders and communities. They crossed mountains, borders and oceans, adapting to new environments while retaining their essential identity.
Moti Mahal has followed the same philosophy.
From Peshawar in 1920 to Delhi in 1947 and subsequently to restaurants around the world, our journey has been about taking the flavours of India’s culinary heritage to new generations.
Our own spice blends are an important part of that journey.
We don’t simply send spices to our restaurants. We send a piece of the Moti Mahal culinary identity.
Every spoonful of Butter Chicken, every bowl of Dal Makhani, every plate of Biryani and every serving of Mutton Rogan Josh carries the same objective:
Authentic taste. Consistent quality. A legacy that travels.
And perhaps that is the real beauty of Indian food.
A dish can begin in one region, travel across centuries, find a home on another table—and still tell the story of where it came from.
Moti Mahal — carrying India’s culinary heritage from our kitchen to the world.
