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!
![Vegan rogan josh in bowl with cilantro garnish.](https://holycowvegan.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vegan-rogan-josh-5.jpg)
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), 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
![Vegan rogan josh in bowl with cilantro garnish and spoon.](https://holycowvegan.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vegan-rogan-josh-3.jpg)
![Vegan rogan josh in bowl with cilantro garnish and spoon.](https://holycowvegan.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vegan-rogan-josh-11-360x360.jpg)
Vegan Kashmiri Rogan Josh
Equipment
- 2 Bowls (one medium, one small)
- Saucepan or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried wild mushrooms
- 2 cups boiling hot water
- ½ cup vegan yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon asafetida (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 fresh 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.
Roos
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
Yes, I have tweaked the recipe over the years to make it closer to an authentic rogan josh. 🙂
Anonymous
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
Mark Pyrah
Wow that turned out delicious ,great recipe thanks ,I added some cherry tomatoes just cooked for a couple of minutes at the end
Vaishali
So happy you made it, Mark!