Paya

Ingredients

Trotters

• 6goat or beef trotters, split
• coarse salt and flour, for cleaning
• 2 tbspvinegar

To boil

• 4 litreswater
• 1 tspturmeric
• salt

Masala base

• 5 tbspghee
• 3onions, finely sliced
• 2 tbspginger paste
• 2 tbspgarlic paste
• 3tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspturmeric
• 2 tspchilli powder
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 200 gthick yoghurt

Whole spices

• 4black cardamom pods
• 6green cardamom pods
• 1cinnamon stick
• 6cloves
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspblack peppercorns

To finish

• 1thumb ginger, in fine matchsticks
• a handful of coriander, chopped
• 2green chillies, sliced
• juice of 1 lemon

To serve

• naan
• or khameeri roti

Directions

1. Rub them hard with coarse salt and flour. Rinse them and repeat the scrub twice more. Rub them with vinegar and leave them for ten minutes. Rinse until the water runs completely clear. Put the trotters in a large pot and cover them with cold water.
2. Bring it to a hard boil and boil for fifteen minutes. Drain it all off and rinse both the trotters and the pot. Return the trotters to the clean pot. Cover them with the four litres of fresh water. Add the turmeric and a good pinch of salt.
3. Bring it slowly to the boil and skim carefully. Lower the heat until the surface barely trembles. Simmer it for eight hours or overnight. Top it up with hot water so everything stays covered. Skim the fat off the surface every few hours. Checking it is done is by feel. Strain the broth and keep it aside.
4. Pull the meat and skin off the bones and set them aside. Making the masala is done separately. Heat the ghee in a wide heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the whole spices and let them sizzle for thirty seconds. Add the finely sliced onions to it.
5. Cook them for twenty minutes until deep golden brown. Do not rush it over high heat, which burns them. Add the ginger and garlic pastes. Cook them for three minutes until the raw smell has gone.
6. Stir in the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli. Fry the ground spices for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook them down for eight minutes. Take the pan off the heat for a moment. Beat the yoghurt until completely smooth. Add it a spoonful at a time, stirring constantly.
7. Return it to a low heat only once it is all incorporated. Adding cold yoghurt to a hot pan all at once will curdle it. Cook it until the oil separates and rises to the surface. Pour the strained trotter broth into the masala.
8. Add the meat and skin from the bones. Bring it up to a gentle simmer. Simmer it uncovered for forty-five minutes. Judging the consistency tells you when to stop. Add hot water if it has gone too thick. Taste it and adjust the salt and the garam masala. Serving it is done piping hot.
9. Ladle it out into deep warm bowls. Scatter ginger matchsticks, coriander and green chilli over the top. Squeeze lemon over, which cuts the richness. Serve naan alongside for tearing into the bowl.

Technique

• The cleaning is what decides whether the dish smells good; scrub, blanch and discard that water.
• Never let the broth boil after skimming, since boiling clouds it and makes it greasy.
• Add the yoghurt off the heat, a spoonful at a time, or it will curdle.

Substitutions

• Beef trotters in place of goat, which give a richer broth.
• A pressure cooker to shorten the simmer to about two hours.

Variations

• Made with beef trotters for a richer stew.
• With bone marrow added to the pot.
• Made hotter, with more chilli powder.

History

Trotters simmered overnight into gelatinous broth, sold at dawn beside nihari in Lahore’s walled city; a thrift dish built on cheap cuts.

Frequently asked questions

What is Paya?

Paya is a soup & stew from Pakistan: gelatinous trotter stew simmered overnight, a hearty breakfast with naan. Trotters simmered overnight into gelatinous broth, sold at dawn beside nihari in Lahore’s walled city; a thrift dish built on cheap cuts.

How long does Paya take to make?

Paya takes 1 hour of preparation and 8 hours or overnight of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Paya?

Yes, within limits. Beef trotters in place of goat, which give a richer broth. A pressure cooker to shorten the simmer to about two hours.

What is the most important thing to get right in Paya?

Pull the meat and skin off the bones and set them aside. Making the masala is done separately. Heat the ghee in a wide heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the whole spices and let them sizzle for thirty seconds. Add the finely sliced onions to it.