Are you a pure vegetarian? Then am sorry, this post is not
for you. I must say this disclaimer for the vegetarian readers because some of
the pics may look yuck. But for the non-veg eaters!!! Here I come… this must be
a visual treat for you.
Paya is something which is made with smoked lamb/goat leg. I
got these lamb feet from a Mexican shop. They call the lamb feet as paya as
like we call in India. The lamb feet have lots of hairs in it and it is very difficult
to clean. Hence it is burnt out to get rid of it. In India, I used to get the
smoked leg which the butcher used to make in the shop. He has a stove and he
directly flames the hairy parts in the leg. Here in US, they give it as such
and I need to do the smoking part. If u gets the smoked leg, wash directly and
start cooking.
Traditionally the lamb feet are cooked very slowly using wood
or charcoal. I still remember my neighbor doing this the day before till the
whole night. It’s been cooked in slow flame till the morning. This gives a
smoky flavor to the lamb feet and it tastes delicious when it is served with the
curry.
Lamb feet are very nutritious and it can be given to the convalescents
for recovering from illness. It has lots of protein and calcium value. Lamb feet
has good source for Vitamin B12 also. I have heard that it is also served for
people with fractures to recover from it.
Serve this delicious-spiced Aatukaal Paya with Idli, Idiyappam,
Dosa, Parotta, aapam.
Preparation time: 30 mins(for smoking it)
Cooking time: 1/2- 1 hour