When it comes to dinner with a touch of royalty, there is perhaps nothing as indulgent and exuberant as a Bhuni Raan. Simply put, Raan refers to the whole leg of a goat. Just like a whole turkey or chicken roast symbolizes Christmas, a whole roasted mutton leg or Bhuni Raan symbolizes the celebration of Ramadan and Eid, especially Bakr Eid. If you are keeping a fast during this Ramadan and wondering what to feast on after Iftar, then this Bhuni Raan recipe is just what you need.
Now, you may have eaten Bhuni Raan at restaurants—if you have ever been to Delhi then the Raan served at popular food joints like Karim’s and Al Jawahar are must-haves. The dish is always well spiced and the meat is falling off the bones. Some people enjoy it with pulao and others love to break into the tender meat with naan, rumali roti or sheermal. Washing it all down with some sharbat or shikanji is as natural as ordering some phirni afterwards to ensure what you’ve eaten is a perfect feast. But the question is, can we make such a festive Bhuni Raan at home?
The answer is yes, if you source the right ingredients and have the right equipment. While getting a proper Indian tandoor at home is very difficult, you can absolutely have an oven—and many home cooks already do because an oven comes handy if you like baking sweet treats or roasting meat and veggies. If you don’t have an oven, you can still create an oven-like environment with a properly sealed wok with a cover. No, not any old non-stick pan will do. What you need is a large, thick-bottomed wok or pan with a cover that doesn’t have a hole to let the steam, and flavours, escape.
For ingredients, it is very important that the whole mutton leg you get is properly prepared and fresh. The older the goat the tougher the meat is going to be. Mutton leg can also turn extra gamey if not cooked right, so it’s critical that you get the temperature and duration of cook right based on the size of the mutton leg. Usually, mutton legs are marinated overnight and slow-cooked to make the meat tender and juicy. Get these essential bits right and nobody can stop you from having a post-Iftar feast at home. Here’s the recipe for Bhuni Raan for you to try.
Ingredients:
1 kg whole mutton leg, trimmed
4 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp salt
1 cup curd
½ cup ginger garlic paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp shahi garam masala
Method:
1. Place the ghee, salt, curd, ginger garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and shahi garam masala in a large bowl.
2. Mix everything well to make a marinate.
3. Wash and clean the whole mutton leg.
4. Use a kitchen towel to pat the whole mutton leg dry.
5. Use a sharp knife to make slits across one side of the mutton leg. Repeat this on the other side too.
6. Now, use your hands to spread the marinate well across the mutton leg.
7. Rub the marinate into the slits too.
8. Transfer the whole mutton leg with the marinate into a lined baking tray.
9. Pour in the remaining marinate, then cover with a foil sheet.
10. Let the mutton leg marinate for 6-7 hours. Bring it to room temperature before cooking though.
11. Preheat an oven to 180 degrees for 15 minutes, then place the covered whole mutton leg in.
12. Roast the Raan while covered for 1.5 hours at 180 degrees.
13. Take the Raan out and remove the cover.
14. Use a ladle or spoon to scoop the oil and masalas from the side to baste the mutton leg.
15. Now, increase the temperature of the oven to 200 degrees and roast the mutton for half an hour.
16. Take the mutton out, baste it again, then flip it.
17. Place the Raan back in the oven and roast at 200 degrees for another half hour or until the mutton is falling off the bones.
18. Take the Bhuni Raan out and serve it hot with a variety of breads, chutneys and pulaos.