Shahi Raan, Raan gosht, or roasted leg of lamb or goat is a delicacy which is royal, sophisticated, and a much sought after recipe. A truly delectable dish, Shahi Raan, usually signifies a feast and is generally the centerpiece. Definitely not your everyday dish, this recipe of shahi raan needs to be pulled out when an occasion is big enough to celebrate. Our shahi raan recipe consists of a leg of lamb or mutton marinated with green chilli paste, spices, and yogurt, and slow-cooked till tender enough to eat with a spoon. Jump to the detailed recipe.
Shahi Raan or mutton raan is a dish which many prefer to order at restaurants but it can also be easily made at home provided you have some patience and the right ingredients. The main ingredient of the shahi raan recipe is the meat which is the hero of the dish. You can pick between leg of goat (mutton) or lamb. In most parts of India, the meat more commonly used for shahi raan recipes is mutton.
Raan refers to the leg of the goat or the lamb.
The recipe for shahi raan or mutton raan roast calls for two marinades. The first marinade for shahi raan is a rather simple marinade made from garlic paste, ginger paste, turmeric powder, and salt.
The second marinade for the shahi raan is a more complex one which calls for multiple ingredients. These include fried onions, roasted chironji (charoli), roasted watermelon seeds, roasted khus khus or poppy seeds, green chillies, coriander leaves, and yogurt. All these ingredients are blended together and applied to the raan, two hours after applying the first marinade. The raan is then left undisturbed and refrigerated overnight so the flavours are absorbed. While making our shahi raan recipe, you can extend the marination time to up to 24 hours depending on the time you have on hand.
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Shahi Raan is often made at Iftar or the evening meal with which Muslims end their fast during the holy month of Ramzan culminating in Eid. Iftar is also a period of feasting after a full day of fasting and hence the dish fits the occasion.
Sikandari Raan, a popular variation of the dish is said to have been prepared for the wedding of Alexander (Sikander) of Macedonia to the daughter of a King of the Hindu Kush region. The preparation was also seen as a mark of the friendship of Alexander and Porus.
To make the Shahi Raan well, a tender hind leg of lamb or mutton preferably about 1¼ kilograms in weight is required. The “trick” to preparing a succulent raan lies first in sourcing the best meat and then in the ‘marinating hours’, which some, proudly do for as long as 24 hours. Yet others, attribute the secret to using ingredients such as papaya paste or kachri powder as they act as meat tenderisers. The ultimate test of a good raan is that the tough cut of meat becomes so tender that you can eat it with a spoon. Watch our step-by-step shahi raan recipe video to see the process of making Shahi Raan.
You can serve Shahi Raan for lunch or dinner. It is best eaten with piping hot naans fresh from the tandoor or even tandoori rotis. It actually tastes great with any Indian bread of your choice. You can garnish it with fresh chopped coriander leaves and ginger juliennes. A makhani dal and a garden salad on the side goes well with the mutton raan masala.
Variations of the raan recipe include the Peshawari Raan which is native to Peshawar - the highlight of this dish is the use of the much prized spice saffron. Bhuna Raan and Raan Musallam Pulao are other popular preparations of raan which you can savour.
Learn how to make Shahi Raan with a step by step video recipe. Find all ingredients and method to cook mutton raan roast recipe along with preparation & cooking time.