Paye ka Salan

Paye — trotters (feet) of goat, lamb, or beef — are the soul food of Old Delhi and Lahori winter mornings. The collagen-rich bones and skin break down over hours of slow braising into a thick, gelatinous gravy fragrant with whole spices and ginger-garlic. Traditionally served as a Sunday breakfast with naan or kulcha in the alleyways of Chandni Chowk, paye ka salan is a deeply restorative dish that defines the nose-to-tail ethos of North Indian cooking.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1.2kg (2 lb 10 oz) cleaned goat or lamb trotters, split by the butcher
• 3 medium onions (about 450g / 1 lb), thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp (60ml) mustard oil or vegetable ghee
• 1 tbsp (10g) whole cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick (7cm / 3 inches)
• 4 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp (30g) ginger-garlic paste (equal parts fresh ginger and garlic, blended)
• 2 tsp (6g) ground coriander
• 1½ tsp (5g) ground cumin
• 1 tsp (3g) ground turmeric
• 1½ tsp (5g) Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 250g / 9 oz), puréed
• 1 tsp (6g) salt, or to taste
• 1 litre (4 cups) water
• Fresh coriander and ginger julienne, to garnish
• Naan or kulcha, to serve

Instructions

1. Wash the trotters thoroughly and singe off any remaining hair over an open flame. Rinse again.
2. In a large heavy pot or pressure cooker, heat oil over high heat until smoking. Add the sliced onions and fry 15–18 minutes, stirring frequently, until deep brown and caramelised. Remove half the onions and set aside for garnish.
3. Add whole spices (cumin, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves) to the remaining onions in the pot. Fry 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook 3–4 minutes until raw smell dissipates.
5. Stir in ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and Kashmiri chilli. Cook 2 minutes.
6. Add puréed tomatoes and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring, until oil separates from the masala.
7. Add trotters and salt. Stir to coat in the masala. Add 1 litre water.
8. If using a pressure cooker: seal and cook on high pressure 45–50 minutes. If using a pot: cover and simmer 3–4 hours until the meat around the trotters is falling off the bone and the broth is thick and gelatinous.
9. Serve in deep bowls, garnished with reserved fried onions, fresh coriander, and ginger julienne.

Cook's Notes: The gelatinous quality of paye comes from the collagen in the trotters — do not substitute with leaner cuts. The dish should be rich and slightly viscous when cooled. Mustard oil adds an authentic sharp note; heat it past its smoke point first to mellow the raw mustard flavour.