Paya (Lahori Paye)
لاہوری پائے
are the pride of a Lahori winter breakfast: trotters cooked so long that the bones slip out, the skin melts and the turns glossy and sticky on the lips. Food streets cook them overnight in huge pots and serve them at dawn with hot naan. At home the work is mostly waiting: a short , then 6–7 hours on the lowest flame, or about 1.5 hours in a pressure cooker. Cleaning the trotters well and the long, gentle simmer are what make them taste right.
- ⏱ Total: 7 hr 30 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 7 hr
- Hard
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Wash the trotters well, scraping off any remaining hair with a knife. Put them in a with water to cover, boil for 10 minutes, then drain, discard the scummy water and rinse the trotters again.
Heat the ghee in a large heavy over medium heat. Fry the onions for 12–15 minutes, stirring, until deep golden brown.
Add the trotters with the ginger and garlic paste, salt, chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, fennel powder and dry ginger. Do the on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring and scraping, until the masala coats the trotters.
Add the yogurt a little at a time, stirring, and cook for 5 minutes until it is absorbed and the ghee separates at the edges.
Pour in the hot water and bring to a full boil. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 6–7 hours (or overnight on a very low flame), stirring now and then, until the meat slides off the bones and the shorba has reduced by about half and feels sticky. In a pressure cooker, cook for 1.5 hours after the whistle (beef trotters need about 2.5 hours).
Uncover, stir in the garam masala and check the consistency. If it is too thick, add a cup of hot water; if too thin, simmer uncovered for 15 more minutes. Taste for salt.
Ladle into bowls and top with ginger strips, green chilies, coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Serve hot with naan or kulcha.
Kitchen notes
Cleaning is half the dish. Ask the butcher to singe and scrape the trotters, then boil and discard the first water at home. Skipping this leaves a strong smell.
Keep the flame truly low during the long cook. A hard boil makes the shorba cloudy and can stick and burn at the bottom.
The shorba thickens on its own from the gelatin in the trotters; there is no need for flour. It sets like jelly when cold, which is a good sign.
A Lahori breakfast tradition
In Lahore, are a winter morning ritual. Shops in the old city and on the food streets set their pots on the fire late at night and serve from them at dawn, with crisp naan from the tandoor next door. Families make them at home on Sundays and after Eid ul Adha, when trotters are plentiful. It is a heavy, warming dish, and people often say a paye breakfast keeps you going until dinner.
The key: cleaning and slow cooking
Good paye depend on two things. The first is thorough cleaning: singed, scraped trotters, boiled once and the water thrown away, so the final smells of spices and not of the animal. The second is time on a low flame. Trotters are mostly skin, tendon and bone, and only long, gentle cooking turns their collagen into gelatin. That is what makes the shorba thick and sticky without any flour. Rushing on high heat gives tough skin and a thin, cloudy gravy.
Variations
- Beef paye: use 2 beef trotters cut into pieces and cook for 10–12 hours on the stove or about 2.5 hours in a pressure cooker.
- Siri paye: many shops cook a goat’s head (siri) along with the trotters for extra richness.
- Tomato version: some homes add 2 chopped tomatoes with the yogurt for a redder, tangier shorba.
Serving and storing
Serve paye piping hot in bowls with naan or kulcha, lemon wedges, sliced onion and extra green chilies on the side. A sprinkle of garam masala on top just before serving lifts the aroma. Leftovers set like jelly in the fridge and keep for 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of hot water.
Questions people ask
Can I cook paye overnight?
Yes, that is the traditional way. After the boil, set the pot on the smallest burner at its lowest setting, with a heavy lid, and check the water level before going to bed. Add hot water if it has dropped too much.
Are mutton or beef trotters better?
Mutton (goat) trotters are smaller, cook faster and have a milder taste, so they are more common in homes. Beef trotters give more gelatin and a heavier shorba but need almost twice as long.
How do I store leftover paye?
Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for a month. The shorba will set firm; reheat it slowly with a little hot water, stirring, until it is liquid and steaming again.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 460
- Protein
- 28 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
