by Sarah Mir · Updated April 20, 2023
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Some dishes wow - you know, like a beautiful Nihari, a multi layered Singaporean Rice, or that perfectly glistening Caramel Custard. Some of them require a little doing (Singaporean Rice, I am a looking at you). This Mutton Raan does all the wowing, but with very little doing. There's a reason your mother and her friends all made it for their Eid dawats!
Not convinced? Just imagine yourself carrying a large dish to the table, a magnificent succulent spiced roast in the middle, the juiciest potatoes scattered around it, a sprinkling of cilantro perfuming the air. Sold right?
Looking for more meaty mains? How about these!
- EASY Instant Pot Beef Pasanday
- Bhunna Gosht / Raisha Gosht
- Nihari
- Yakhni Pulao
- Dum ka Qeema
If you are looking for Eid Recipes then I got you there too, just click here. Now let's get back to this dish shall we...
How do you make a Mutton Raan Roast?
Is it enough if I say easily? Probably not. Here's how though
1.) Whisk together a spiced yoghurt marinade
2.) Use a sharp knife to make small slits all over the meat (especially the meatier parts).
3.) Rub your marinade over and let it sit for at two days, but upto five is perfectly fine.
4.) Roast in the oven covered then uncover, add potatoes and roast some more.
What kind of meat can I buy for the Mutton Raan Roast?
A Raan is technically a goat leg and that's what I used here. However, in Pakistan the average Raan is approx. 1.5-2kg, the smallest raan my butcher in Canada carries came in at 3.5 kg. at 3.5kg a Raan can easily feed a dozen people, maybe ten if they're big eaters.
If that is too much for you then you can also scale the recipe down and purchase a Mutton Shoulder instead or any other cut your butcher recommends.
While I haven't tested it with lamb yet I suspect it would work there too.
Will this Mutton Raan have a smell?
In Urdu there is a word called "heek". It refers to that unpleasant smell/taste that food can have, where it smells not quite right, like something is off. This folks is a heek free situation. The masala that goes into this Mutton Raan is rich and it perfumes the meat quite beautifully.
However, since I like to leave nothing to chance I recommend that you squeeze half a lemon over your mutton raan before adding the garnishes.
Can I make this Mutton Raan in an Instant Pot?
I love my IP just as much as the next person, but here it just is not big enough. If you get a smaller roast piece then you absolutely could, but since cook time varies by size I can't estimate it here.
Why I cook my Raan in the oven
For three reasons
1.) It fits in a roasting pan a lot better than it does in most pots. If you have a large pot and a large gas burner then you can absolutely cook it stove top. Cook it stovetop on medium low heat until tender, but not totally soft. Add potatoes and let it all cook together.
2.) Frees up the stove for other cooking (or not) - If I can avoid committing my favourite burner (you know you have one) to a dish then I will.
3.) Slow roasting produces an ultra tender roast
The Big Question: What do I serve with a Mutton Raan?
A star like a Raan needs only a supporting cast
- a simple rice pilaf, peas or mixed veggies, upto you.
- a green raita/chutney
- some hot naan or sheermaal
Made this Raan? Have a question? Comment below and share your recreations with me on Instagram @flourandspiceblog - Happy cooking!
Mutton Raan
A richly spiced mutton roast perfect for company, simply marinate in advance and roast away!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
Diet: Halal
Keyword: Mutton, Raan, Roast
Servings: 10
Author: Sarah Mir
Equipment
Roasting dish
Ingredients
- 3.5 kg Mutton Raan/Leg (smaller quantity marinade in notes)
- 4-5 Potatoes Sliced into thick (2 cm) rounds
Marinade
- 2 cups Yoghurt
- 2.5 tbsp Ginger Paste
- 2.5 tbsp Garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Salt (plus one more teaspoon)
- 1.5 tbsp dry roasted cumin powder
- 1.5 tbsp dry roasted coriander powder (see notes)
- 3 tbsp garam masala powder
- 3 tbsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp green chilli paste (or mince in 8 green chilies)
- juice of a lemon
Instructions
Place your muton piece in your roaster and use a sharp knife to score deep cuts into your roast
Mix your marinade ingredients together (if you are the masala tasting sort like me then it should be a strong flavour)
Rub the marinade all over your mutton and marinade covered and in the fridge overnight at a very minimum and up to three days. If you can then flip your roast over once and baste with the marinade.
Remove the raan from the fridge an hour before you will roast it to allow it to come to room temperature for more even cooking.
Preheat your oven to 350F and bake the raan covered with foil for 2 hours. At this point if you pierce it with a fork it's cooked through but now completely tender. Use a spoon to baste it with the masala
Scatter your potatoes along the sides and bake covered for another half an hour, then remove the foil and allow it to bake until the potatoes are fork tender (usually 20 minutes or so more). The mutton meat should be absolutely tender by now
Squeeze over lemon juice, sprinkle over chaat masala and serve topped with fresh minced cilantro. Pomegranate kernels are always a plus.
Notes
Coriander and Cumin Powder: I always have a roasted mix of the two in my pantry so I use that for this recipe. Seeds roasted and ground have a better flavour than their powdered counterpart but if you don't have the time just lightly toast the powders in a clean pan
Marinade for a 1.5kg Mutton Raan: ¾ cup yogurt, 1 tbsp each ginger and garlic paste, 1 tbsp red chili powder, 1.5-2 tsp salt, ½ tbsp garam masala, ½ tbsp pepper, ½ tbsp dhania powder, ½ tbsp zeera powder, 1 tsp green chili paste. Oven timings will be shorter as well so check in on your raan at the one hour mark, when it's tender enough to be easily pierced by a fork then add your potatoes.
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