A thick Indian sauce or curry made with cream, tomatoes, and spices, often served with meat (as in 'rogan josh').
From Urdu and Persian 'rogan' or 'rogan' (oil, fat, sauce), referring to the rich oil-based preparation of dishes in South Asian cuisine. The word traveled to English through British colonial contact with India.
Rogan josh became popular in Britain during the colonial era, but the British version is actually quite different from authentic Kashmiri rogan josh—it's milder and creamier, showing how immigrant cuisines adapt to local tastes and ingredients. The word itself demonstrates how English borrowed heavily from Indian languages, with 'curry,' 'chutney,' and 'rogan' all reflecting centuries of cultural exchange.
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