Paya Shorba, lamb Trotter Stew, Offal

Okay, so you have decided you don’t or can’t eat offal-the-awful…but have you ever thought what is that chicken skin on your plate or the casing of your sausage ?

Paya Shorba is perhaps one of the most popular and delicious of all offal dishes I’ve ever eaten. A bowl of steaming hot, rich , gelatinous stew of lamb trotters is the ultimate comfort food. Many people who don’t eat offal otherwise, cook and eat this delicious Shorba fondly.

While buying lamb trotters, make sure they are burnt properly. Yes, the trotters are burnt before they are ready to cook, to remove the hair and inedible tissue. Then they are scraped and washed thoroughly. Usually all this is done by the time they reach the shop. All you need to do at home to further clean them is rub them with a little salt and baking soda, leave a few minutes and rinse with warm water to get rid of the meaty odour.

This is a speciality on Eid-ul-Azha or the festival of sacrifice but is mostly cooked the second or third day of Eid as the Eid festivities last three days. The reason is, firstly, it takes time cleaning/burning the trotters and secondly, they are cooked slowly for long hours till the bones release all the fat and gelatine and the meat is falling off the bones.
Not just on Eid but otherwise as well, it is a very popular breakfast in Punjab.

It’s served steaming hot with naan or roti in the Indian subcontinent, garnished with ginger, green chillies and lemon wedges.

4 lamb trotters
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 teaspoons ground red chilli
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt to taste
1+1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Julienned ginger, chopped green chilli pepper and lemon wedges served on side.

Heat oil in a deep pan on medium heat, add onions. Fry till onions turn light golden, add trotters and ginger garlic paste. Continue to fry till the trotters are golden brown.

Add turmeric, coriander, red chillies and a beaten yogurt. Continue to fry the masala till the liquid evaporates and oil separates from masala. Fill the pan more than half with water, turn the heat to minimum low.

Cover and let simmer for 4 hours, check occasionally, add more water if required. When the meat is almost falling off the bones, it means trotters are done. Add enough water to make a soupy stew, 5-6 cups.

Reduce heat and cover, allow to simmer another 5 minutes. Serve steaming hot with naan bread and ginger, green chillies and lemon on the side for garnishing.

Serves 4