Khyber's Raan: Here is a legendary recipe from 1958
A recipe that you can now make at home - all it needs is patience
Ingredients:
For First Marination
1 kg leg of lamb
50 ml mustard oil
20 ml lemon juice
25 gms ginger paste
35 gms garlic paste
20 gms garam masala
2 tsp green cardamom
1 small stick cinnamom
1 small piece of mace
1/2 tsp clove
2 tsp black pepper
1.5 tsp dry rose petals
1 tsp badi elaichi (3 pieces black cardamom)
Dry roast the whole spices for 5 to 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Once they turn slightly darker in colour and begin releasing a strong aroma, turn off the heat and allow it to cool. Then powder it in a coffee grinder.
20 gms cumin powder
20 gms coriander powder
10 gms chaat masala
20 gms salt
60 gms chilli powder
For Cashew Paste (dry roast the ingredients and grind into a fine powder)
100 gms cashewnut
10 gms whole coriander
5 gms cinnamon stick
10 gms cumin seeds
5 gms black pepper
5 gms green cardamom
5 gms bay leaves
15 gms coconut powder
For Red Chilli Paste (grind the red chillies along with vinegar and mustard oil into a thick paste)
15 dry red chillies
4 tbsp vinegar
6 tbsp mustard oil
For Tomato Gravy (grind all the ingredients together into a gravy like consistency)
800 gms tomato
500 gms onion
25 gms ginger paste
40 gms garlic paste
5 gms turmeric powder
30 gms red chilli paste
30 gms cashew paste
Salt to taste
2l lamb stock
Small bunch of coriander to garnish
Method:
1. Clean the lamb and make thin cuts with a knife before marinating it. This way, the marinade will absorb well.
2. Begin adding salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder, chaat masala and ginger-garlic paste.
2. Let the lamb rest overnight with the marinade in refrigerator.
3. Heat the lamb stock in a pan, add the whole spices one by one.
4. Add the overnight marinated lamb into boiling stock (Note: Once you remove the lamb from fridge, let it rest five to ten minutes at room temperature before adding it to the stock)
5. Add marinated lamb into boiling stock and cook for atleast three to four hours on slow flame. Close the lid and let it cook. Remember to keep checking the stock and lamb every 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Close the lid and let the lamb cook on a slow flame.
7. In a pan, dry roast cashews, coconut powder and whole spices.
8. Make a paste of the dry roasted spices and cashews.
9. Heat a pan, add vegetable oil, onions and sauté it until it becomes translucent.
10. Now, add turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and sauté for three to four minutes on a medium-high flame.
11. Add tomato paste, salt, red chilli paste, cashew paste and mix well.
12. Check the lamb. To test if it is cooked - pierce a knife into the lamb. If it is cooked well, it will slide in smoothly.
13. Let the gravy cook for 10 to 15 mintues. Once the oil starts to separte, add the cooked lamb into it. On slow flame, cook the lamb for 15 mintues so that the gravy is absorbed into the lamb well.
14. Sprinkle coriander on top of the raan and serve hot. Raan is best enjoyed with rumali roti (a thin flatbread) or naan (leavened, oven-baked flatbread).
Raan is best enjoyed with rumali roti (a thin flatbread) or naan (leavened, oven-baked flatbread).
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