Roast Leg Of Goat (Raan)

5 from 1 vote

The Roast Leg of Goat (Raan) is marinated in an aromatic blend of spices that tenderize and flavor it and then slow-cooked to perfection.

Prep Time12

Cook Time4

Total Time16

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Diet: Halal, Hindu

Keyword: leg of lamb, leg of mutton, peshawri raan, raan muslam, roast goat leg, sikandari raan

Servings: people

Calories: 660kcal

Author: Nosheen Babar

Ingredients

Spice Blend

1 piece mace
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 piece star anise
3 pieces cardamom
1 tsp fennel
2 bay leaves
2 tsp salt (see notes)
2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp black pepper

Marinade

½ onion
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup yogurt (see notes)
¾ cup tomato paste (see notes)
2 serrano chillies
½ cup cilantro
spice blend

Roast Goat Of Leg {Raan}

2.5 lb whole goat leg (see notes)
½ tsp salt
marinade
½ cup cooking oil
6 cups water
4 potatoes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spice Blend

Dry roast all of the whole spices in a preheated frying pan. (see notes)
Cool for a few minutes and then grind them to a fine powder.
Mix these with all the powdered spices and set aside to use later.

Marinade

Slice the onion and fry it to a deep brown, strain from the oil and set it aside to cool.
Add the spice blend, the cooked onion and all of the other ingredients to a food processor or blender and grind everything to a paste.

Roast Goat Of Leg (Raan)

Wash the leg of goat and pat it dry.
Stab it with a knife to create 10-12 deep cuts. (see notes)
Rub ½ teaspoon salt all over the goat
Massage the marinade into the leg, making sure to get it into the cuts you made and refrigerate the goat leg overnight.
Place the marinated goat leg on the kitchen counter for 1 hour before cooking.
Preheat your oil to about 350° to get a good sear on the leg.
Scrape off the marinade coating the leg and placethe meat in the oil.
Let it sizzle and cook for 5-10 minutes before flipping it over to sear on the other side.
Use the preferred method of cooking your goat leg referenced below.
Peel and quarter the potatoes and add them to the roast near the last 15-20 minutes of cooking (see notes)

STOVE TOP METHOD

After the sear, add the remaining marinade along with 6 cups of water to the pot.
Bring this liquid to a boil and then seal the pot tightly. Cover it with foil, place the lid on top and reduce the heat to medium low.
Do not open the pot or touch the meat for 3 hours for the steam to work. (see notes)
After 3 hours, gently open the pot, and test the meat using a knife or a thermometer.
Since we want the meat to fall off the bones, once the raan is 90% done, turn the heat up and cook the meat uncovered on medium high till the marinade thickens. (see notes)

OVEN METHOD

For the oven method, while you're searing your meat, preheat the oven to 325?.
After searing the meat, place it in a roasting pan, along with the marinade and 2 cups of water.
Cover tightly with foil and cook uninterrupted for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, uncover the meat and check to see if the meat is 90% cooked. At this point continue to cook it uncovered until it reaches the ideal cooking temperature, about 30-40 minutes.
Once done, remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 20 minutes.
If there's too much liquid in the roasting pan, pour it into a saucepan and boil it to make a thick concentrate that you can then pour over the leg

Notes

Salt - Rubbing some salt directly on the meat helps flavor the leg of goat. Since it's such a large piece of meat, the salt in the marinade isn't always enough. My rule of thumb is about one teaspoon of salt per pound of meat; if you want to adjust that, feel free to do so.

Yogurt - Plain full-fat yogurt is always my recommendation for cooking. It helps make the gravy/masala thick and creamy and adds moisture to the meat so it stays moist and juicy.

Tomato Paste - I usually get a small six oz. Can, which is exactly ¾ of a cup. Make sure to use paste, not plain canned tomatoes, as the flavor and consistency are very different. Tomato paste is more acidic and intense in taste; plus, since it's very dense, it will help thicken the marinade.

Goat Leg Size - 2 - 2.5 pounds is my recommendation regarding the size of your leg. This isn't always possible, but try to stay as close to this as you can. The smaller the leg of goat, the more tender it will be.

Dry Roasting The Spices - Dry roasting the spices before grinding them helps them "bloom" by releasing their essential oils. This adds to the flavor of whatever you're cooking.

Making cuts in the meat - Making a few deep cuts with your knife helps the marinade get to all the meat and not just stay on the surface. This is essential anytime you cook a large chunk of meat.

Steam Method Of Cooking - Slow cooking using steam in a tightly sealed container is an ancient method called "Dum Pukht." This seals in all the meat juices and produces tender and flavorful meat. In ancient times, cooking utensils were sealed with a strip of kneaded dough. Today, tightly wrapped foil works great and is my go-to for anything I steam on the stovetop.

Cooking The Raan Uncovered - Once the steam breaks down the collagen, it's time to dry the excess liquid and get a nice thick gravy that will coat the entire leg of goat. Cooking the meat uncovered on medium-high helps achieve this.

Cooking The Potatoes - Peeled and quartered potatoes are cooked in the remaining gravy near the end of the cooking process. Since potatoes need very little cooking time and we want them to retain their shape, I add them to the pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If they're done after 15/20 minutes, I just fish them out and set them aside till the meat and gravy are ready.

Nutrition