MUTTON PAYA

     Paya is a traditional South Asian Food considered to be a delicacy in various cultures.  Paya literally means 'Feet' in Hindi/Urdu.  This dish is a stew/soupy dish made with lamb trotters(Lamb's feet) or bones from the leg of lamb.  If you have a taste for the rich marrow covered with meat, then this dish is for you.This recipe can be made with trotters of goat, sheep, cow or buffalo.  When cooked with cow or buffalo trotters, it's called 'Nihari'.
    The history of Paya dates back to Mughals and as usual, it was introduced into Indian cuisines by them.  But with time, it was adapted by different culture to suit their palate and taste.  Various regions and cultures in and around Indian have their unique version of Paya recipe.
     My love for this dish started in Chennai.   When my husband had a project in Chennai, we stayed there for a month or so during my kid's school holidays and each day went by trying a variety of dishes.  The place was surrounded by restaurants and sweet shops, that we never ran out of ideas to try a new dish each day.  But most of the days, I ended up eating Aatukkal (Lamb Trotters) Paya with Idiyappam or Appam. Even though I have had this dish before, the one at Chennai literally justified the dish. Perfectly cooked Lamb Trotters in a rich and heavy stew with a mild tinge of spices, not only is a delicacy but also is filled with medicinal properties.
     Mostly this dish is slow cooked for hours or overnight until all of its essences is well incorporated into the stew.   But it can be pressure cooked to get the same results.  Cleaning the trotters is an extremely tough job, usually, the trotters are roasted over an open fire to burn off the hair from the feet and hoof.  It is a time-consuming job and should be done perfectly to get the desired taste. This is done by butchers and they always have a stock of it in their shops.    As I was not able to get burnt trotters here in Malaysia,  I bought the bony parts of lamb legs with a bit of flesh in it. So I roasted the bones over a fire to get the smoky look and flavour.

Cuisine : Indian
Course : Side Dish
Spice Level : Medium
Difficulty : Medium
Serves : 3 - 4
Author : SM

Preparation Time : 15-20 Minutes
Marinating Time : 20-30 Minutes
Cooking Time : 13/4 Hours

INGREDIENTS :

Lamb Trotters - 6 Nos.
Onion - 2 Nos.
Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tspn
Coriander Powder - 2 Tbspns
Curry leaves - 2 Sprigs
Water - 3 Cups
Oil - 3 Tbspns
Salt - To Taste
Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

SPICES :

Cloves - 5 Nos.
Cinnamon - 1" Stick
Cardamoms - 3 Pods
Bay Leaf - 2 Leaves
Fennel Seeds - 1 Tspn

For Onion Paste :

Onion - 1 No.
Ginger - 1" Piece
Garlic - 10-12 Cloves
Green Chillies - 10 Nos.

For Coconut Paste :

Coconut -1/4 Cup
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 Tspn
Cumin Seeds - 1 Tspn
Peppercorns - 2 Tspns
Poppy Seeds(Kaskas) - 1 Tspn
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig

METHOD :

• Clean the trotters, roast them on fire(optional) and keep them aside.
• Grind the ingredients mentioned under 'Onion Paste'.
• Soak Poppy seeds in warm water for few minutes and grind the ingredients mentioned under 'Coconut Paste' into a smooth paste.
• Heat oil, splutter the ingredients mentioned under ' Spices' along with curry leaves.
• Add the lamb trotters or bones and fry them for a while.
• Saute onions until they turn translucent.
• Add the ground Onion paste and saute them until fragrant.
• Add Turmeric Powder and Coriander Powder to the above and saute for a while on a low flame.
• Sprinkle some water and fry it until oil separates from the mix.
• Add Salt and 2-3 Cups of water to the above and pressure cook it until the lamb trotters are soft and succulent.
• Remove from fire and allow it to cool.
• Pour the Coconut Paste to the cooked lamb trotters and allow it to boil on a very low flame for few minutes or until the raw flavour goes.
• Pour in the Coconut milk and give a quick stir.
• Leave it on a very low flame for few minutes.
• Garnish with Coriander Leaves.
• Serve Hot with Idiyappam (String Hoppers), Appam, Naan, Parotta or any Roti varieties.

NOTES :

• Can add Dry Chillies instead of Green Chillies in Onion Paste. Dry Chillies will give  Red Colour to Paya. 
• Adjust the amount of Spiciness according to your preference.
• Can make the recipe without Coconut paste too.
• Just grind the spices alone mentioned under "Coconut Paste' along with 'Onion Paste'.
• Can also add tomatoes to add a bit of tanginess to the dish.