Wazwan: Authentic Kashmiri Recipes for Rogan Josh & Rista

Kashmiri recipes

Wazwan - Great Tastes

Where better to fall in love with Wazwan than in Kashmir? In October 2013, I visited this beautiful valley along with my wife for the first time in my life. Through all the breathtaking natural beauty, the rolling green mountains and valleys, and snow-peaked horizons, my focus, my greatest love, never wavered from the fantastic culinary tradition of this mountain state. Many things combined to create the mouthwatering Wazwan for which Kashmir is so rightly famed—from the Mughal past, where emperors commissioned some of the most romantic baghs (gardens) in the world, made as the earthly template of heaven, and were also incurable gourmands who searched far and wide for great chefs and gave them their one-point agenda: create exceptional dishes. Kashmir’s wonderful climate, which allows the growing of a mind-boggling variety of beautiful nuts, fruits, vegetables, and spices, including saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, played an equally crucial part. And of course, not the least, the wonderful chefs who continue to carry the tradition forward with their immaculate mastery and love for wazwan. It is courtesy of these chefs that this blog features recipes of some of the wazwan dishes we enjoyed during our stay (and later recreated and experimented with at home). Wow! Believe me, it was grand. The recipes are often long and involved, so you need a fair bit of time to make them, but every bit of that time and effort is worth it. All the recipes are based on 500 g of mutton, which can be substituted with 750-800 g of chicken

Mutton  Rogan Josh

Mutton Rogan Josh

Recreating a traditional Kashmiri Wazwan outside the valley is a challenge of precision and patience. Having experienced the authentic flavours at iconic spots like Adhoos in Srinagar and Prince Restaurant in Pahalgam, I realised that the secret isn't just the spices—it’s the technique of 'beating' the meat and the use of Ratan Jote for that signature red hue. Below, I’ve simplified these royal recipes for the home kitchen without losing the heritage soul of the dish.

Ingredients 

Mutton – 1/2 kg

Hing (Asafoetida) – 1/4 teaspoon

Cinnamon (darchini) – 2 pieces (1” each)

Clove (labanga) - 5 pieces

Black cardamom (boro elaich) - 3 pieces

Whole black pepper  1/2 teaspoon

Juice of one whole large onion

coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Ratan Jote  - 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri Mirch powder – 2/3 Tsp

Hung Curd   250gm

Fennel  powder - 1teaspoon

Ginger powder - 2 teaspoons

Vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon

Method:

Boil 500 g of mutton in approximately 500 ml of water until soft, then set the stock and the mutton aside separately. Put a large pan on the gas and add oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the whole garam masalas and black pepper. When the spices start popping, add the meat and then slowly add the onion juice. Stir-fry on low heat. When the meat becomes almost dry, and the onion juice has been completely absorbed, add hung curd, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, asafetida, ginger powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, and ratanjote. Continue frying on low heat, and when the mutton becomes almost dry again, add salt to taste and two pinches of sugar. Pour in the entire mutton stock and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Kashmir  Chicken  Curry

Delicious Chicken  Curry in Kashmiri flavour. Available  at the  Prince Restaurant, Pahalgam

Ingredient:

750-800gm chicken

Chopped Onion – Finely chopped from 2 medium-sized onions.

Whole dry Red Chilli – 3-4

Kashmiri Chilli Powder – 2 Tsp

Garlic chopped - 6 /7 flakes

Coriander Powder – 1 Tsp

Cloves – 6/7 pcs

Cardamom – 6/7 pcs

Cinnamon – ½ pcs

Cashew nuts – 50 gm

Almonds – 25 gm

Hung Curd – 150/200 ml

Coriander leaves – approx. 1 sprig

Method :

Grind cashew nuts and almonds with the curd till it forms a paste. Marinate the chicken pieces for about half an hour in the paste. Fry the chopped onions in a kadhai till they start browning. Then add the dry red chilis, chilli powder, and all the other ingredients except the marinated chicken. Saute for 3-4 minutes and then add the chicken. Sauté till the chicken pieces take up a deep brownish hue. Then add around 2/3 cups of water, and add salt to taste. Simmer on low heat for about half an hour. Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Bon appetite!

Gustabha

Mutton  Gustabha at the famous Adhoos Restaurant, Lal Chowk, Srinagar

Ingredients:

Finely minced mutton – 1/2kg

Kashmiri Garam Masala- 2/3 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder – 2/3 Tsp

Fennel seed – 1tsp

Ginger powder – 1 Tsp

Whole black pepper – 2/3 tsp

Cardamom – 4/5 pcs

Coriander powder – 1tbsp

Khoya – half cup

Hung Curd – half cup

Milk – approx. one cup

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Method:

Make a smooth paste with the Kashmiri chilli powder, fennel powder, ginger powder, coriander powder, garam masala, minced meat, a little curd, and ghee. Then form balls of around 2 inches in diameter. Heat the ghee and add khoya, curd, garam masala and salt to taste. Pour the milk after some time, and then add the Koftas. Simmer on low heat till the liquid evaporates partly. Each Gustabha meatball is quite large in size and soft after it is cooked. Suggest slicing each ball into four equal segments to savour it with plain rice or tandoori roti, or naan.

Bon appetite!

Rista

Mutton Rista at Gulmarg. The size of each meatball  is same as a standard  Nargis Kofta

Ingredients:

Ratan Jote – 1 cup

Saffron soaked in water – approx. one cup

Kashmiri Chilli powder – ½ tsp

Ginger powder – 1 Tsp

Cardamom – 4/5 pcs

Fennel powder – 2tsp

Cinnamon sticks – 2/3 pcs

Cloves – 3/ 4 pcs

Hing – roughly a pinch

Bay leaves

Method: 

Form approximately one-inch balls from the minced meat after mixing cardamom powder, a small amount of salt, and one teaspoon of ginger powder. When the oil gets heated, add all the ingredients except the koftas, saffron and ratan jote. After a few minutes, add the keema balls and stir-fry gently until the Koftas turn reddish-brown. Then add saffron soaked in water and a cup of Ratan jote. Add salt to taste and simmer on low heat for around ten minutes. The koftas, after cooking, should have a characteristic rubbery bite in contrast to gustabha, where the meatballs are soft and melt in the mouth. Best served with plain rice or roti.

class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">Bon appetite!   

Ruby's Kitchen

Mutton Rogan Josh

A Royal Kashmiri Classic | Recreated from the Adhoos Tradition

Meat: 500g Mutton | Base: Onion Juice & Hung Curd | Color: Ratan Jote

Ingredients

• 500g Mutton (Boiled until soft)
• 250g Hung Curd
• Whole Spices: 2 Cinnamon sticks, 5 Cloves, 3 Black Cardamom, ½ tsp Black Pepper
• Liquid Base: Juice of 1 large Onion + Mutton Stock
• Powders: 1 tsp Fennel, 2 tsp Ginger, 1 tsp Cumin, 1 tsp Coriander
• The Red Hue: 1 tsp Ratan Jote + ⅔ tsp Kashmiri Mirch
• Seasoning: ¼ tsp Hing, Salt to taste, 2 pinches of Sugar

The Method

1. Prep: Boil the mutton in 500ml water until soft. Keep the stock and meat separate.
2. Temper: Heat 1 tbsp oil. Add cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, and black pepper.
3. Sear: Once spices pop, add the meat. Slowly pour in the onion juice, stir-frying on low heat until the liquid is absorbed and meat is dry.
4. The Spice Bloom: Add hung curd, all spice powders (Fennel, Ginger, Cumin, Coriander, Hing, Chilli), and the Ratan Jote.
5. Sauté: Continue frying on low heat until the mutton is dry again and spices are fragrant.
6. Simmer: Add salt, sugar, and the reserved mutton stock. Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes until the gravy is rich and aromatic.

“Every bit of the time and effort is worth it.” — Ruby's Kitchen

Ruby's Kitchen: Heritage Series

❄️

Kashmiri Gushtaba

Experience the royal flavours of a traditional Kashmiri Wazwan at home.  From the melt-in-the-mouth Gushtaba and spicy Rista meatballs to the iconic Mutton Rogan Josh, these authentic recipes are a tribute to the culinary heritage of Srinagar. Whether you're a food lover or planning a trip to Kashmir, save these heritage secrets for your next kitchen adventure! #KashmiriFood #WazwanRecipes #IndianCuisine #RubysKitchen #TravelTales"

The "King of Dishes"—silky mutton meatballs simmered in a rich, tempered yoghurt gravy with dried mint.

Ingredients

• Meat: Mutton (hand-pounded to a fine paste with kidney fat)
• Gravy: Fresh Yogurt (whisked), Ghee, Mutton Stock
• Spices: Green Cardamom, Fennel Powder (Saunf), Ginger Powder (Sonth), Salt
• Finish: Dried Mint Leaves (Pudina)

Method Highlights

1. Pound the meat with fat on a stone till it reaches a "velvety" consistency. Shape into large, smooth balls.
2. Slow-cook yogurt in ghee, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
3. Simmer the meatballs in the yogurt gravy with spices until they swell and become airy.
4. Finish with a generous sprinkle of rubbed dried mint.

Ruby's Kitchen: Heritage Series

🔥

Kashmiri Rista

Finely pounded mutton meatballs cooked in a fiery, aromatic red gravy. A staple of the traditional Wazwan.

Ingredients

• Meat: Mutton (pounded to a paste)
• Color: Kashmiri Red Chili Paste or Ratan Jote (Alkanet root)
• Spices: Saffron, Cloves, Black Cardamom, Fennel Powder
• Base: Ghee and Mutton Broth

Method Highlights

1. Shape the pounded meat into smaller, firm rounds.
2. Prepare a rich red broth using chili paste and whole spices in ghee.
3. Allow the ristas to slow-cook in the gravy until they absorb the deep red hue and spicy aroma.

Ruby's Kitchen: Heritage Series

🥘

Kashmiri Chicken Curry

A fragrant, thin-gravy chicken curry prepared with mild aromatics—elegant and deeply comforting.

Ingredients

• Main: Chicken pieces (on the bone)
• Aromatics: Shalott/Onion paste (Pran), Garlic
• Spices: Turmeric, Fennel powder, Ginger powder, Green Cardamom
• Liquid: A touch of yogurt or milk for a smooth finish

Method Highlights

1. Lightly sauté the chicken in ghee with whole spices.
2. Add the onion and ginger-garlic paste, cooking until the raw smell disappears.
3. Simmer with ground spices and water until the chicken is tender and the oil separates.

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