Mutton Paya Soup

Name: Mutton Paya Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 495 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 1 kg lamb trotters (payas), cleaned and chopped at joints by the butcher; 3 tbsp oil or ghee; 2 medium onions (180 g), sliced; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 × 3 cm ginger piece, sliced (for extra ginger flavour); ½ tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; ½ tsp cumin powder; 5 black peppercorns, crushed; 3 cloves; 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 1 × 2 cm cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp salt (adjust — add more at end); 1.5 litres water; 1 tsp garam masala (add at the very end); Blanching before the main cook is essential — skipping it produces a grey, cloudy, funky-smelling broth; 55–60 minutes in the pressure cooker is the minimum — less time and the collagen does not fully release; The broth should gel when refrigerated — this indicates high collagen content and full cooking

🍗 Non-veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Easy

A deeply nourishing, collagen-rich lamb trotter broth slow-cooked for hours with whole spices and ginger until the bones yield all their gelatin. Eaten at night as a warming, restorative dinner — believed to strengthen bones, joints and immunity. Popular in cold months across all of Maharashtra.

⏱️15 minPrep

🔥480 minCook

🕒495 minTotal

🍽️6Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Mutton Paya Soup

Blanch the trotters (Heat: high): Place trotters in a pot with cold water — bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes — skim the grey foam that rises. Drain and rinse trotters. This step removes impurities and ensures a clear, clean-tasting broth.
Fry aromatics (Heat: medium-high): Heat oil/ghee in a pressure cooker. Add whole spices — cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves. Fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sliced onion — fry for 12 minutes on medium-high until deep golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and sliced ginger — fry 2 minutes until raw smell disappears.
Add masala (Heat: medium): Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, crushed peppercorns. Stir 30 seconds. Add blanched trotters — stir to coat with masala on medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes.
Pressure cook (Heat: high → low): Add 1.5 litres water and salt. Seal pressure cooker. Cook on high until first whistle, then reduce to low and cook for 55–60 minutes (10–12 whistles). Natural release for 20 minutes. The broth should be golden-yellow and richly gelatinous.
Finish (Heat: medium): Open cooker — taste the broth. It should be deeply savoury, slightly thick from collagen, and warmly spiced. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to concentrate flavour. Add garam masala, stir. Taste and add salt.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 390 kcal | 35 g | 6 g | 24 g | 1 g | Paya soup is considered medicinal across Maharashtra, often prescribed by grandmothers for convalescents, new mothers, and growing children. Muslim households in Maharashtra have a tradition of slow-cooking paya overnight in large pots for Friday night dinners. The bone marrow is considered a delicacy — suck it straight from the bone at the table. ---

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