In our family, mutton paye are not just a dish, they are an event. They are always cooked on a cold winter night, on the lowest flame, and the whole house wakes up to the smell. The next morning everyone gathers around the table with hot naans, lemons and a bowl of paye each, and nobody talks for the first ten minutes. My grandmother used to say that paye are the one dish you can never rush, and after many years of making them, I know she was right.
The photo above is a bowl from my own kitchen: tender trotters in a deep golden shorba, topped with green chillies and crushed black pepper. When you lift the bones, the meat slips right off, and the gravy is so rich it almost sticks to your lips. That is how proper paye should be.
What Makes This Paye Recipe Authentic
- Clean, smell-free paye: the trotters are blanched with salt and turmeric, and the first water is thrown away.
- Traditional spices: fennel (saunf) and dry ginger (sonth) give paye their classic warm, slightly sweet aroma.
- Proper bhunai: the onions are browned deeply and the masala is roasted until the oil separates before any water goes in.
- Hours of slow cooking: this is what melts the collagen and turns the shorba thick and sticky without any flour.
How to Buy and Clean Mutton Paye
One set of mutton paye means four trotters, usually cut into 8 pieces. Ask your butcher to singe (burn off the hair) and cut them for you. At home, check each piece carefully and scrape away any hair left between the hooves with a knife. Then wash them well and blanch them: boil for 10 minutes with salt and turmeric, drain, and rinse. Never skip this step. It is the secret to paye that smell of spices, not of the animal.
Ingredients You Will Need
The full list with exact quantities is in the recipe card below. A few notes from my experience:
- Paye: goat (mutton) paye are smaller and more delicate than beef paye, and cook faster.
- Desi ghee: gives the best flavour and that glossy layer on top. Oil works too.
- Yogurt: adds body and a gentle tang to the shorba.
- Saunf and sonth: fennel powder and dry ginger powder are what make paye taste like paye. Don’t skip them.
Slow Cooking vs Pressure Cooker
Traditionally, paye cook overnight on the lowest flame for 6 hours or more. This gives the richest, stickiest shorba, because the collagen melts slowly. The key is a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil; I explain why in my guide to boiling vs simmering meat. If you are short on time, a pressure cooker works well: cook for about 1.5 hours after the whistle, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to thicken the shorba.
My Tips for the Best Paye
- Brown the onions deeply. Golden-brown onions give the shorba its colour and sweetness.
- Add yogurt on low heat and stir continuously so it doesn’t split.
- Use hot water if you need to top up during cooking, so the simmer doesn’t stop.
- Don’t thicken with flour. Real paye shorba thickens naturally from the bones. Be patient.
- Garnish generously. Fresh ginger, green chillies, coriander, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon cut through the richness.
How to Serve Paye
Paye are traditionally a weekend breakfast, served piping hot with tandoori naan or khamiri roti, lemon wedges, sliced onions and extra green chillies. If you love slow-cooked mutton dishes, also try my homemade lamb nihari and my nani’s mutton yakhni.
Storage and Reheating
Paye keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and freeze well for 1 month. Don’t worry when the shorba sets like jelly in the fridge; that is the collagen, and it is a sign of good paye. It melts back into a rich gravy as soon as you heat it. For more on safe storage times, see my food storage guide.
Mutton Paye (Slow-Cooked Pakistani Trotters)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Even if the butcher has singed the paye, check for any remaining hair and scrape it off with a knife. Wash the trotters well.
- Put the paye in a large pot with water to cover, 1 tbsp salt and 1 tsp turmeric. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain, discard the water and rinse the paye. This removes the strong smell.
- Heat the ghee in a large heavy pot. Add the whole spices and let them crackle, then add the onions and fry until deep golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add the blanched paye and fry with the onions for 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat and add the yogurt, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, fennel powder, dry ginger powder and salt. Bhuno on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until the oil separates.
- Add 12 cups of water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, then cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat falls off the bones and the shorba turns sticky and rich. Add hot water if it reduces too much. (Pressure cooker: cook for 1.5 hours after the whistle, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.)
- When the paye are tender, check the salt and stir in the garam masala. Simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes until the oil rises to the top.
- Ladle into bowls and top with ginger, green chillies, fresh coriander and crushed black pepper. Serve hot with naan or khamiri roti and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- No smell: blanching with salt and turmeric and discarding the first water is the key to clean-tasting paye.
- Low and slow: paye cannot be rushed. The long simmer melts the collagen and makes the shorba sticky.
- Overnight paye: traditionally paye are cooked overnight on the lowest flame and eaten for breakfast.
- Storage: keeps 3 days in the fridge. The shorba sets like jelly when cold; it melts again on heating.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove the smell from paye?
Clean them carefully, then blanch them in boiling water with salt and turmeric for 10 minutes and throw away that water. The deep-fried onions, ginger and whole spices take care of the rest.
How long do mutton paye take to cook?
About 5 to 6 hours on a slow simmer, or about 1.5 hours in a pressure cooker. They are ready when the meat comes away from the bones easily.
Why is my paye shorba thin?
The paye need more time. Keep simmering until the collagen melts, then cook uncovered for the last 15 to 20 minutes to reduce the shorba.
What is the difference between mutton paye and beef paye?
Mutton (goat) paye are smaller, more tender and cook faster. Beef paye are bigger, take much longer, and give a heavier shorba. The spices and method are almost the same.
If you make my mutton paye this winter, please tell me in the comments, and tell me: do you eat yours for breakfast or dinner?
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