Traditionally food was par-cooked or sautéed first to seal the juices and give it some colour. Then it was added to a big earthenware pot or heavy metal cauldron with a little bit of water. The lid was sealed to the pot with flour and water paste and the pot placed over a hot bed of coals. Or the pot was buried under sand and topped with hot burning coals. Then it was left for hours to simmer slowly.
This recipe is inspired by the Afghani style Dumpukht that makes use of very few ingredients. First a big pot is layered with chunks of lamb fat or charbi, then meat and whole vegetables are placed over it. The dish is usually just seasoned with lots of salt that acts both as flavour enhancer and meat tenderiser.
I have skipped the use of animal fat and used olive oil instead and added a few other flavour enhancers like ginger, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper and cumin to cut down on salt. I prefer to cook this in the oven after I have briefly fried the meat in a pan because that’s a more hassle free method. Once the meat is in the oven for three hours, I am free to do other chores. When oven timer rings, the dinner comes out steaming hot, tender, juicy and ready to dig in. This is the easiest way to cook a scrumptious meal with least effort and active time spent in the kitchen which makes it ideal for formal dinners and weekend family meals.
Ingredients:
Lamb leg with bone, 1.5 kg
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 small onions, peeled
6 small potatoes, peeled
6 whole tomatoes
4 green chilli peppers
4 tablespoons olive oil
Lamb with veggies cooked with the meat’s juice and olive oil, I can see it with bread (naan) or rice or noodle!
Never had the opportunity to try Raan. It’s a very expensive dish really. I’m saving it for when you really want to celebrate big!
You are right! I always save one raan after bakr eid every year for some big dinner. But I have recently realized that roasting whole raan or even chicken is very convenient and economical in the long run. Now I roast in bulk, make small portions and freeze to be added to wraps and sandwiches or enjoyed in individual serving with salad later on. 😊