Description
Paya are trotters, the feet of a goat or lamb or any cattle, a rich gourmet food, consumed mostly by recuperating patients for its nourishment. This is especially famous among the muslim community, basically a mughlai dish, expensive and widely popular among the riches(nawabs), who consume this soup with meat and marrow cooked in exotic ayurvedic spices to get the full benefit , while the poor peasants enjoy just the soup made with bones. Well mine too is like a poor mans paya (Do not laugh) as my butcher could not give us the cut with meat. I’m happy with what I got, glad that he at least recognised the term “Paya” and courteously agreed to spare some.Paya is not a common thing here in USA, only certain meat shops and butchers carry this meat and that too..in raw form. Trotters are goat feet, bones from the leg with rich gelatin marrow covered with meat. They are cooked in two forms, 1. first preparation is with skin on, this is the one which we get in India. Cleaning is extremely tough, they smoke the trotters or roast them over open fire to burn off the hair from the feet and hoof. Time consuming and needs extra care to do it perfectly but tastes out of this world. This process is called “Theekkarathu” in Tamil. 2. Second way is to skin the trotter and leave the bones with little meat, the ones we get here in USA, which still taste good like traditional trotters.
Paya Recipe / Aatu Kal Paaya / Paya Kuzhambu / Mutton Paya / Paya Stew / Aatu Kaal Soup / Goat Trotters / Mutton Trotters/ Bone Marrow / Kaal Kari Kuzhambu / Paya Curry / Trotters Soup / Baby Goat Paya
Coming to my preparation, the trotters which I got was full of bones with very less meat and no skin. But decided to try the traditional method to attain little robust flavour. Popped the goat trotters under broiler for few minutes to get the smoky look and flavour. Lets begin the journey to making of this poor man’s paya…..
| Ingredients-1 | |
|---|---|
| 6 nos | Shallots |
| 2 tsp | Coriander seeds |
| 4 nos | Green chilies |
| Ingredients-2 | |
|---|---|
| ½ cup | Fresh grated coconut |
| 2 tbsp | Split roasted gram/pottukadalai |
| Ingredients-3 | |
|---|---|
| 1 nos | Baby goat trotters (oru aatu kaal) |
| 2 nos | Onion medium ( chopped) |
| 1 no | Tomato (diced) |
| 1 tsp | Ginger garlic paste |
| ½ tsp | Turmeric powder |
| ½ tsp | Red chili powder |
| 2 tsp | Salt (or to taste) |
| 5 tsp | Oil |
| 3 stks | Coriander leaves (chopped for garnishing) |
| 5 nos | Curry leaves |
| 3 nos | Bay leaf |
| 2 nos | Black stone flower/ kalpasi |
| 2 nos | Cinnamon stick (small) |
| 4 nos | Cloves |
| 2 nos | Cardamom |
| 1 pinch | Cumin seeds |
| ¼ tsp | Fennel seeds |
| 4 cup | Water (approx) |
Instructions
Raw Paya
Raw paya with shaved off meat looks like this. Roughly one leg with all parts, I guess!
Smoking process
Wash the trotters in cold water. Turn the oven setting to broil, line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Arrange the trotters, place them in the second rack (from top) and broil for 10 minutes to until the blood oozes out and bones turn light brownish.
Smoked Trotters
After smoking they look like this. Retain the juice and liquid.
Preparing to pressure cook
Transfer the smoked trotters along with the juice into a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 15 minutes(no whistle count) over medium high flame. It may take longer for trotters with lots of meat. Steaming time varies from 20 minutes to an hour depending on the cut of the meat.
Aatu Kaal Soup
Once cooked the fat separates and gives a sticky look. With dash of salt, pepper and coriander powder added to this, makes fresh Paya soup. Very much edible at this stage and good for sick patients. (Aatu Kaal Soup)
Masala and Paste
For the masala: Add a tsp of oil in a small pan, toast the dhania seeds along with green chilies. Add the shallots and toss for few minutes. Let cool and grind to a paste and keep aside.
For the Curry : Grind coconut and roasted gram with little water to a paste and keep aside.
Ingredients for Curry
Finely chop the onions, grind ginger and garlic to a paste, dice the tomatoes. Keep the whole masalas ready with coconut paste and ground masala.
Spicy Paya Stew
Heat oil in a pan, toast the bay leaf adding cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black stone flower and curry leaves. Add the chopped onions and fry for 6 minutes over medium flame or until they turn slightly crispy. Now add the green chili dhania paste and saute for 5 minutes over low flame to get rid of the raw smell. Add ginger garlic paste and diced tomatoes to this and cook until soft. Now add the cooked trotters with the soup, add turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Bring to one boil and simmer until the flavour blends and gravy thickens. Again its very much edible at this point with toasted bread. Lets take it to one step forward to finish the dish the royal way.
Ultimate Aatu Kaal Paya
Add the ground coconut paste to the stew and bring it to one boil, garnish with coriander leaves and switch off. Serve a cup with steaming kal dosais.
Feel Free to help Yourself !!
Notes
Recipe Courtesy: Extend sincere thanks to my aunt Mrs. Prema Jambulingam for teaching me this recipe.
Yield: Soup/ Kuzhambu can feed 4 Adults, bone with marrow for 2 approx.
Optional: Cashews and poppy seeds can be grinded along with coconut and roasted gram to make it extra rich.
Exotic Ayurvedic spices: In my recipe Kalpasi adds some health benefits, but even without that the dish acquires more nutrition and flavour from the bone and marrow.
Whole garam masala adds special touch, substitute with garam masala powder if you don’t have them. Whole coriander adds tons of flavour, but quite difficult to grind in small quantity. Adding onions helps to grind them evenly, you can also substitute with powder and include whole chilies.
The soup part of this dish is very good for recovering patients, marrow heals pain, aches and helps to strengthen.
Comments
39 responses to “Aatu Kaal Paya – Mutton Paya Recipe”
Hi Mullai, i someone happen to get trotters (Goat Feet) from Pakistani store in USA. But now, how to do the “Theekkarathu” process to burn off the hair from the feet and hoof. I have only induction cook top…. so can i do the same process of broiling to clean the hair & get the smoky flavor. Can you kindly explain?
hi mullai… ur recipies are awesome. I leant cooking from your blog only…..how to smoke trotters without using oven. please do reply
Hi Mullai,
I tried your recipe today and it was yummy!
Thanks a lot!
Awesome recipe, thanks for the details. I have seen so many websites giving this recipe but what makes yours special is the detail to the core. It might have taken way too much time to produce this recipe for the blog… awesome, vazhga valamudan.
Hi Mullai Akka, Thanks a lot for giving this recipe, i did it for my friend after her delivery to enhance milk production, she was delighted to drink it and i was all in praise by everybody and of course the credit is urs. Thanks a mill. cheers!
Hey Mullai..found a place to get Paya near home. It kinda looks different without the meat and all!! Your pics make me drool, but i have to wait for next weekend to try this out 🙂
~Priya
looks yummy ..thanks for the recipe
hi mullai how to smoke trOtters without using oven.please help me.
Hi, wuz looking through recipe websites and I must admit I sure liked your contribution, thanx a lot and I am looking forward to try the dish this weekend, shall keep you posted, thanx once again.
where can i find paya in usa
hi mullai,
thank u so much for sharing this recipe.. i tried ur parotta too..
wat can i say both the recipes r simply superbbbbbbb….
my hubby had never tasted parotta prepared at home.. but now he named me “parotta queen”.. n the paya.. wat can i say.. he said its same as tat prepared in hotels.. credit goes to u mullai.. hats off to u…
ive tried some ur recipes like mysorepak, butter chicken, chicken tikka masala.. everything came out well..
thank u so much.. keep on going with this good work….
Hi This dish is wonderful..am new to paya and searched this recipe to impress my hubby(as he likes a lot). Awesome!!! step by step procedure helped me a lot.. kudos!!!!Great work!!!
Hi Mullai, i tried your dish and it came out very well. Thank you so much 🙂
came out very well…thanx for the recipe…
Hi Mullai…I am new in this site…i like paya dish very much…after reading your recipe, i very much tempted to try your recipe…i will surely try your recipe tomorrow and let you know how it was…keeping on giving new more new recipes…
hi mullai,
great work ,no one is there to beat u ……..for making good recipes
thanks a lot mullai:-)
Hello mullai,This is my first visit to this site and went thru lot of recipes where i always read the comments before trying it and all your recipes are excellent i beleive,sounds really gud to me as am reading it thru,to be frank i was lazy to register but all the comments about ur pictures tempted me to log in and its really worth it,iam gonna try this paya today as my hubby loves paya..thank you so much..will come back after my trial.
hi mullai,
Tried this recipe yday & it came out great.
Thanks for your detailed procedure & pictures. I don’t think anyone can explain this better.
Hats off to you.
priya
Your dishes are really very cool………….
AWWWWEEEEEEEEESOOOMMMEEEEEEEE
I have never tasted such a delicious dish. thanks a ton.though i never eat i only prepare for my family.
very neat presentation mullai ennaku photo's etc pathutu ithula veg… try panna temptinga irukku…
Mullai!!! comment panna mudiyala nethu..Simplyy superb Mullai..Enga errutnthu thaan uthikomo entha idea ellamm..Asusual i admire ur Fotos offcourse ur cooking tooo….
Mullai Akka,
No way…… You are really great..I cnt think of any words actually..Iam vegee nw iam slowly falling into non-veg side..Thata coz of your dish..
Got to try this for weekend vl let you knw abt my final result..
Bye
Rohini
Romba Nandri Thangachi!! Try pannittu solunga.
hi mullai
i need a small help from u will you please give me the phone number of good meat shop in farmington area i too live near farmington thank you.
deepa
Dnaraya6,
Here's the location and number. Eddie Jouni Meat, Farmington Hills, MI. Tel: 1-248-851-3600. Google it for exact map, its close to Patel Bros in the same strip mall.
Very nice recipe Mullai.Thankyou.
hi,mullai excellent presentation of paya. u r right this is mostly made in muslim homes. actually in hyderabad it is known by the name of “NAHARI”.
Thanks to Sadhana, Sarah, Seema, Lakshmi, Lavanya, Kavi, Priya, Abhi, Manoo and all my guest readers.
HI Mullai rombo arumaiyaa irukku…
Sadhana Raveen
Ungal receipeum , presentation paathale yaarale diet pannaa mudiyaadhu, simply superb
Wonderful presentation and explanation Mullai……….Hats off to Mullai!!!!!!!!
Wow!!!… My mom used to make these when i was younger…
Awesome pictures and a wonderful presentation…
Carry on the good work!
Cheers!
Amazing Mullai..lovely pictures..hope i’ll get these trotters here..
AWESOME presentation…. yet i dont like mutton….
My goodness, Mullai, I don’t think anyone can explain this better than you.. Hats off !!!.
Not sure when I have time to prepare all the dishes (excellent ) posted here. But everyday in my house one of the dish is surely from spiceindiaonline.com.
Regs
Jaya Lakshmi
WAH!!!WAH!!!!WAH!!!! Mullai hats off….romba romba nandri.
Your step by step guide and attractive pictures will be a real treat for meat lovers. Whole procedure is well explained to get the real authentic taste. Thnx.