Pepper Paya

Pepper paya is a penetratingly spicy take on the already paya dish. Paya is a traditional Indian dish that is eaten all over the world, especially the Indian subcontinent, Middle East, and Asia. It is a soup made with trotters, the hooves of livestock. Many people enjoy eating it at festivals or reserve it as a food for important guests. But paya tastes wonderful whenever you eat it, and whomever you eat with, so start making it today.

This Pepper Paya recipe tastes great with dosa or idly, and the combination makes a great for breakfast ! Make sure you pack this recipe in insulated lunch box so you can enjoy it warm later.

Health Benefits

Paya has a lot of health benefits, but its strongest aspect is the bone broth. The broth in paya is infused with the health elements found in the bone of the animals used in the soup. It has glucosamine supplements which has been used as a means of treating joint pain. Bone broth also helps you maintain your youthful looks by providing the body with collagen. The collagen in the bones has been shown to improve skin elasticity and reduce the amount of lines in your skin.

Ingredients

mutton trotters: 5-6

bay leaves: 2

tsp black peppercorns: 1/4

fennel seeds: 1/4

cup freshly grated coconut: 1/2

tbsp coriander seeds: 2

tbsp sesame seeds: 2

cloves: 4

green cardamoms: 6

tsp black peppercorns: 1/4

tbsp cooking oil: 3

large onion – finely chopped: 1

green chillies: 2-4

cloves garlic: 8-10

piece ginger: 2

tsp Kashmiri chill powder or mild paprika powder: 1 1/2

tbsp yogurt or curd: 4

tbsp coriander leaves – finely chopped: 2

tbsp mint leaves – finely chopped: 2

lemon – juiced: 1

salt to taste

How To Make Pepper Paya

1. In a pressure cooker, add all the cleaned trotters along with the bay leaves, fennel seeds and peppercorns.
   1. Cover the trotters in water and pressure cook for 15 whistles at a high heat.

Note: It may take longer for trotters with lots of meat. Steaming time varies from 20 minutes to an hour depending on the cut of the meat.

1. Bring the paya to a boil and simmer gently for 3 hours.

2. Grind ginger,garlic,green chillies to coarse paste and set aside.
3. Dry roast all the ingredients listed under “Masala Paste” on medium heat.
   1. Sauté them for couple of minutes or until the color starts to change.
   2. Turn the heat off and set aside to let cool.
   3. Ground everything to a coarse paste in a blender.
4. Strain the stock and set the paya aside.
5. Heat oil in a large heavy bottom sauce pan.
   1. Add the chopped onions and sauté them untilthey turn light pink and translucent.
   2. Add the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste.
   3. Stir well until the raw smell dissipates.
6. Add the grounded paste and cook while mixing well for 5-7 minutes or until the oil leaves the sides of the pan.
7. Add the Kashmiri red chilli powder and stir.
8. Lower the temperature to low and add in the beaten yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time.
   1. Stir well to make sure it doesn’t curdle but enhance the flavors to form a rich gravy with all the spices.
9. Add the paya to the gravy and increase the heat to medium.
10. Mix thoroughly to coat all trotter pieces with the spice mix.
11. Add most of the paya stock and bring the paya curry to a boil.

Note:Set a couple of ladles of the stock aside for later.

1. Simmer gently for an hour.

Note: Make sure to stir often so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If you find the gravy is too thick you can add a little more of the left over stock.

12. Season with salt and lemon juice.
13. Garnish with fresh coriander & mint leaves.
14. Remove from the heat and keep uncovered overnight or at least 4-6hrs.
15. Serve and enjoy!

Trivia

Siri paya includes the head of the animal as well as the trotters.