Culinary Chronicles
The Rebel in My Genes – Of Faith, Freedom and a Bowl of Mutton Rogan Josh
By Yasmin Rahul Bakshi
Today, while cooking a traditional Kashmiri Mutton Rogan Josh, thoughts wandered to my grandfather. A rather unusual connection between a pot of mutton and a man who has been gone for years, but there was a reason!
It was about the freedom to cook and eat what one pleases, on whichever day one wishes, without consulting the religious calendar.
My grandfather was an atheist. A rather determined one at that!
He had little patience for religious rituals, customs or traditions followed merely because generations before him had done so. Yet, his deeds were perhaps more spiritual than those of many who professed great religious devotion.
An agriculturalist by birth and an engineer by profession, he was a man of uncompromising principles. Not a single penny of corruption ever found its way into his wallet. Honesty was not something he preached. It was simply how he lived.
During the Partition of India in 1947, when religious hatred was tearing communities apart, he arranged trucks to help hundreds of Muslims cross safely into Pakistan while also helping people travelling in the opposite direction reach India. At a time when religion divided humanity, this man who believed in no religion was busy saving human lives.
He did not ask which God they worshipped. He simply knew they needed help.
And yet, he had his contradictions!
Despite helping so many Muslim families, he once had a Sufi saint’s shrine in his neighbourhood dug up and removed. Not out of religious hostility but because the gatherings of devotees and their noise every Thursday disturbed his peace. It was certainly an extreme action and one difficult to defend, but his objection was to the disturbance rather than their faith.
Interestingly, this very man who rejected organised religion chose to send his son to a Christian school! Perhaps because education, discipline and character mattered far more to him than the religious identity of an institution.
Even his final wishes were unmistakable. No religious ceremonies, no customary rituals and no immersion of his ashes at any religious place. He had lived on his own terms and intended to leave the world in precisely the same manner.
Somewhere along the generations, a generous helping of those stubborn genes travelled through my father and found their way to me. The questioning mind, the independent spirit and that occasional rebellious streak which refuses to accept something merely because custom demands it.
There is one difference, though. Unlike my grandfather, my belief in God is strong. But God resides within us all and goodness, compassion and integrity matter far more than elaborate rituals.
Which brings us back to the Mutton Rogan Josh!
Why should eating meat on a Tuesday, Thursday or during a particular religious period become a matter of judgement? Why should someone else’s beliefs determine what is cooked in another person’s kitchen?
Those who choose to fast, abstain from certain foods or observe religious customs deserve every respect. But surely the same courtesy must extend to those who choose otherwise.
A bowl of dal is no more virtuous on a Tuesday than a bowl of mutton is sinful!
And surely God has far greater concerns than whether Rogan Josh is simmering in someone’s kitchen on a particular day!
Faith is personal. No one has the right to impose their religious beliefs, dietary restrictions or customary practices upon another. Respect must work both ways.
There is a thought particularly close to my heart.
“Har pal, har pag Rab ka.”
Every moment and every step belongs to God.
My grandfather would probably have rolled his eyes at that! And we would undoubtedly have enjoyed a wonderfully spirited argument over it.
But perhaps his greatest legacy was not his atheism. It was the courage to question conventions, think independently and live by one’s convictions without expecting everyone else to follow suit.
Faith and freedom need not be at odds. One can believe in God without observing every religious custom and one can reject religion while living a life of extraordinary humanity.
And so, today’s Kashmiri Mutton Rogan Josh brought back memories of a remarkable man and the rather rebellious inheritance he left behind.
Cook what you enjoy. Eat what you wish. Follow the customs that bring you peace and allow others the freedom to do the same.
As for the Rogan Josh, it was cooked with love, enjoyed without guilt and served with a generous helping of those inherited rebellious genes!
Disclaimer: This is a personal reflection on family values, faith and individual freedom. It is not intended to hurt or disrespect anyone’s religious beliefs or sentiments. Every faith and personal choice deserves mutual respect.
Ingredients:
- Mutton, bone-in – 1 kg
- Mustard oil – ½ cup
- Curd (not sour), whisked – 1 cup
- Kashmiri red chilli powder – 3 tbsp
- Dry ginger powder – 2 tsp
- Fennel powder – 2 tbsp
- Asafoetida – ¼ tsp
- Green cardamom – 8
- Black cardamom – 4
- Cloves – 8
- Cinnamon – 2 inches
- Bay leaves – 2
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Mawal powder – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Water – 3 to 4 cups
Method:
- Blanch the mutton in boiling water for 10 minutes. Discard the scum. Strain the mutton water and keep it aside and rinse the meat pieces in cold water.
- Heat mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches smoking point. Reduce the heat slightly.
- Add asafoetida, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Allow the spices to release their aroma.
- Add the mutton and sauté over medium-high heat until the pieces are lightly browned and the moisture has evaporated.
- Dissolve Kashmiri red chilli powder in approximately ½ cup of water. Add it to the mutton and sauté gently until the oil begins to separate.
- Reduce the heat and add the well-whisked curd gradually, stirring continuously to prevent curdling.
- Continue cooking until the curd is incorporated and the oil begins to separate.
- Add dry ginger powder, fennel powder, turmeric and salt. Mix thoroughly and cook for another 3–4 minutes.
- Add the reserved mutton stock.
- Add the mawal powder, preferably dissolved in a little warm water.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for approximately 60–90 minutes or until the mutton becomes tender.
- Check water depending on the desired consistency.
- Allow the gravy to reduce naturally until it develops a deep red colour and a thin layer of oil rises to the surface.
- Rest the Rogan Josh for 15–20 minutes before serving.
- Serve with steaming hot rice.
(Yasmin Rahul Bakshi is an accomplished senior consultant Chef and a food historian. A widely travelled Army wife from the Mussoorie hills with exposure to international cuisines & preserving recipes with the medium of food photography and digital content creation in the form of stories.)
