Deliciously sumptuous, this Kashmiri vegan rogan josh features chunky seitan and chewy wild mushrooms simmered in a spicy, dairy-free yogurt sauce. It's a must-try recipe!
Few dishes evoke the tempestuous passion of the land they spring from as perfectly as rogan josh does.
Rogan josh roughly translates to "red heat," and it is a classic dish from the belly of Kashmir, a land at once synonymous with immense natural beauty and heart-wrenching tragedy. Kashmir, nestled in the Himalayan valley, straddles three countries -- India, Pakistan and, to a smaller degree, China. This has kept the region in a state of constant war and communal conflict for decades now.
Kashmiri food in India, with strong influences of the region's mostly Muslim population, is rather distinct from other Indian cuisines. The icy winters meant dishes here evolved to be meat- and fat-heavy, loaded with spices and flavored and dyed by local chillies and alkanet root (ratanjot) to appear an appetizing red.
I have shared vegan versions of Kashmiri dishes with you, like Dum Aloo, a saucy side dish that takes the humble spud to a whole new level of deliciousness, and delicious Kashmiri collard greens. This vegan rogan josh is just as special, if not more so.
Traditionally rogan josh is made with mutton or goat's meat. I use a mix of chunky seitan and wild dried mushrooms for the perfect texture and flavor.
The use of umami ingredients, including mushrooms, mushroom stock and asafetida, adds plenty of delicious flavor while the Kashmiri chili powder, along with saffron, which grows plentifully in Kashmir, adds an appetizing red hue. You will never miss the meat!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Authentic. Other than swapping out the mushrooms and seitan for mutton, this recipe remains true to the original.
- Loads of texture and flavor. The chunky seitan and chewy mushrooms add so much delicious texture to this meatless rogan josh recipe. It is also loaded with flavor from thoughtful additions and substitutions, including asafetida, used traditionally in rogan josh, saffron, and mushroom stock for umami.
- Easy recipe. This is one of the simplest recipes you can make, and it takes no more than 30 minutes to put together, making it a fantastic weeknight recipe. The recipe makes four servings, but you can easily double or even triple the recipe for a larger family or if you just want to eat more!
- Allergy-friendly. The recipe is soy-free and you can use nut-free yogurt. To make the rogan josh gluten-free you can use tofu or tempeh or any gluten-free meatless chunks.
- Healthy. The rogan josh is loaded with tons of protein and it is friendly to most diets, including low-carb vegan diets. Traditional rogan josh uses a ton of oil, but we limit the oil to no more than a tablespoon while preserving all of the deliciousness.
Ingredients
- Dried wild mushrooms. You can use fresh wild mushrooms, but dried mushrooms add more texture.
- Vegan yogurt. I use my beloved cashew yogurt for this recipe. You can use any store-bought yogurt, including a nut-free yogurt if you are nut-free.
- Spices: Kashmiri chilli powder (or cayenne), ground ginger, asafetida (hing), ground cumin, ground coriander, cloves, green cardamom, saffron (optional), garam masala and bay leaves. You can also add some sweet paprika for color, but it is optional.
- Seitan chunks. If you are gluten-free, use any other meat-substitute that is gf. You can also use tofu or tempeh.
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Watch how to make vegan rogan josh
Expert tips
- Rogan josh should not contain tomatoes, onions and garlic. The spices and the yogurt provide flavor and body to the sauce. Use a yogurt that's not too tangy for the best taste.
- This recipe makes about four servings but if you're a hearty eater you might want to double or even triple the recipe.
- If you can't find Kashmiri chili powder, use a mix of cayenne and paprika for flavor and color. Rogan josh is a spicy dish, but you can adjust the level of heat down by using more paprika than cayenne. Also add more paprika if you want a deeper color.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store in the refrigerator for up to five days in an airtight container.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to three months in a freezer-safe container.
- Reheat: Reheat in saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl until heated through. If needed add some water or vegetable stock to thin out.
Serving suggestions
- With vegan naan or roti or with basmati rice.
- A cooling mint paratha goes nicely with rogan josh.
- Jeera rice or cumin rice.
More spicy vegan Indian recipes
Recipe card
Vegan Kashmiri Rogan Josh
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried mushrooms
- 2 cups boiling water
- ½ cup vegan yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon asafetida or hing
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon saffron strands (optional)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 6 cloves
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 oz seitan chunks
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl. Add the hot water and let the mushrooms steep for 30 minutes. Before using, strain out the mushrooms and chop them roughly. Reserve the stock.
- In another bowl, place the yogurt. Add the spices--ground ginger, asafetida, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder and saffron, if using. Mix and set aside.
- Heat oil in a saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the cloves, cardamom and bay leaves and saute for a few seconds. Add the seitan chunks and saute them until they turn golden-brown at the edges. This will help give them a really nice texture.
- Stir in the drained, chopped mushrooms and continue to saute a couple more minutes.
- Add the yogurt spice mix and stir it in. Add the reserved mushroom stock. Bring the curry to a boil, add salt, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. You should see small pools of darker liquid on top when the rogan josh and spices have been cooked.
- Remove the lid and let the rogan josh simmer for five more minutes. Turn off heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
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Roos says
Hey, did you replace an old recipe with this new one?
The old one had onion, garlic, ginger and everything haha and I’ve been using it and now I can’t find it!
Vaishali says
Yes, I have tweaked the recipe over the years to make it closer to an authentic rogan josh. 🙂
Anonymous says
its so very nice of you vaishali,to come out with a veg version of this mouthwatering recipe of roganjosh.being a hardcore vegetarian,i could only imagine how would a veg roganjosh look or taste like.but now,being a keen cook myself i keep sxperimenting with spices and flavours,hence can vell imagine the dish completely. lovingly.......mamta
Vaishali says
So great to hear, hope you try!
Mark Pyrah says
Wow that turned out delicious ,great recipe thanks ,I added some cherry tomatoes just cooked for a couple of minutes at the end
Vaishali says
So happy you made it, Mark!
Yvonne Statham says
Having looked and cooked some of your recipes, I’m longing to try this one, would almond milk be ok instead of cashew m?
Vaishali says
Yes absolutely!
Mary says
I myself had never heard KASHMIRI ROGAN JOSH before today. I Was in the supermarket looking at bottled sauces and reading the ingredients on each. I came across this sauce and there was no animal products in it so I decided to give it a try. It had an extremely nice flavor very spicy which I like. So because I do not eat meat I decided to chop up some onions mushrooms peppers and smoked tofu and then I added some chickpeas and spinach. It turned out wonderful so I decided to check the Internet and see if I could find a vegan version so I could try to make this from scratch. Then I came upon your page and read the history, such a sad history it is. It saddens my heart to read such information, at least the cuisine from this region is still alive and well. For people like me to come across and enjoy thank you for sharing I am going to give this recipe a try very soon.
Viswa says
what a beautiful lead in to the recipe!! I heart ARR!!!
Doris says
Why did my dish not look orange like yours, although I followed your recipe exactly.
Vaishali Honawar says
The pepper gives the dish its color-- in this case the guajillo pepper or the kashmiri pepper, depending on which one you used.
Vaishali Honawar says
Tikka, I use my own garam masala recipe.
Tikva says
That looks delicious, and I'm planning on trying it as soon as I can get some Tempeh. However, I prefer to use a homemade Garam Masala, rather than store bought, and wondered if you could add the recipe for the Garam Masala that is best suited to this dish? Thanks!
Hasita says
Thanks for coming up with a veggie version! I always wondered what Rogan Josh tastes like, and now I think I have a fair idea 🙂
Supriya says
This came out yummy! I added a bit of paprika and smoked paprika based on the comments about color. Next time I might double it so we have some leftovers.
Anonymous says
What a beautiful post!
Vegan Magic says
What a fascinating piece of writing, Vaishali! Before I made your Dum Aloo, the only things I knew about Kashmir were the dispute between India and Pakistan and the fact that it's home to the famous chili (I'd had the chance to taste it in powder form and indeed there's nothing like it). Before sharing your recipe on my blog I did a lot of reading about Kashmir and was so impressed. I really hope to be able to visit it one day. The beautiful song/video you shared reminded me of one of my favourite movies, Fanaa. Although not actually showing Kashmir, the Des Rangila song describes it so beautifully through music, lyrics, dance and colours. Your song also reminds me that I haven't listened to my favourite Tamil songs Vaseegara and Snehithane in a very long time, I'm playing them now:)
Rogan Josh was among the first store-bought vegan cooking sauces that I tried, only that at the time I was pairing it with pasta:) Until now I haven't attempted to make it at home and neither have I cooked with tempeh. Your mouthwatering pictures make me want to try both:) Thank you for the wonderful post and recipe. Adriana
Cozinhar sem Lactose says
Sounds super delicious! I'd love to taste it!
veggiesara says
Reading this post made me sad.. I know so little of Indian history.
Your recipe looks amazing though 🙂
Priya Suresh says
Omg, vegan version of rogan josh looks absolutely stunning,cant take my eyes from ur clicks.
jodye @ chocolate and chou fleur says
Wow, this looks so wonderful and flavorful! I think I'll try substituting mushrooms for the tempeh since my boyfriend can't eat soy. I'm sure it will be just delicious!
divya says
Super delicious !! looks so inviting !!
Manasi says
I wanted to see Kashmir too, I have associated it with Shammi Kapoor singing "yeh chand sa roshan chehra" and the other song that comes to mind is from Bemisal, "kitni, khoobsurat yeh tasveer hai.."
The Vegan Rogan Josh sounds great! The only way vegetarians and vegans can enjoy this famous dish.
Vaishali Honawar says
I love Kitni Khoobsurat-- that song really evokes the beauty of Kashmir and it was my very first choice but when I went to look at the video the focus was just on the three actors and not on the loveliness of Kashmir itself, which was a bit disappointing.
And who can forget Shammi singing Tareef Karoon Kya Uski to an apple-cheeked Sharmila? 🙂
Rafeeda AR says
the curry looks lipsmacking... and yes, that song captures the beauty of Kashmir perfectly... 🙂
Atania says
Saw this on facebook - beautifully written! I came home from a long day at work then this post transported me to a different time and place so foreign to me; sights, sounds, smells and of course taste. Is there a chili you would recommend if I cannot find a guaijillo pepper?
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Atania, welcome! You can always use some paprika or a mix of paprika and cayenne if you want some heat. Instead of blending with the ginger and garlic add them with the other powdered spices, the cumin and coriander.
Tikva says
Was going to ask the same question, so glad it's already been answered. How much Paprika and Cayenne Pepper would you recommend? Thank you!
Vaishali Honawar says
Depends really on how much heat you can stomach. I would add no more than half a teaspoon of each but if you like hot curries add more.
Peter says
The listed ingredients don't include either coconut milk or lemon juice. What about using coconut (vegan) yoghurt?
Vaishali says
Hi, some of the recipe cards went crazy when I switched to a different card a couple years back--sorry about that and corrected now. I also need to update the recipe--I'll prob make it with vegan cashew yogurt this time because coconut isn't a great flavor in northern dishes like rogan josh. You can just sub 1/2 cup of any vegan yogurt.