Aatukal Paya (Goat leg curry) is one of the Non-Vegetarian delicacies of South Indian. The Goat’s legs or trotters are called Paya in Hindi. Well there is a slight difference between mutton soup and paya soup. Mutton soup includes the paya/goat feet bones soup and the soup made using other parts of mutton bones. But Mutton paya soup is only the paya / Goat feet, which is extremely nutritious and rich in calcium.

You can make clear soup or a thin gravy as a  side dish for parotta, idiyappam, appam or idly dosa. Today am going to show it as a side dish thin gravy or kulambu. So lets call it as Mutton paya curry.

• Prep time  – 2 hours
• Cook time -20 mins
• Serves – 2 to  4
  

Ingredients needed:

• Paya / Goat feet /aatukal – 600 gms (4 to 6 legs)
• Shallots / Small onions – 200 gms
• Tomato – 2
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp.
• Turmeric powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Chili powder – 2 tsp
• Coriander powder – 3 tsp
• Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Whole pepper – 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds – 1 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaves – 1/2
• Cinnamon – 1-inch piece
• Cloves – 4 nos
• Star anise – 1
• Curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves
• Water
• Gingelly oil – 3 tsp.
• To grind and extract milk
  • Coconut – 1/2 cup
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Kas Kas/Poppy seeds – 1 tsp

How to clean the goat feet / Paya: 

• Make sure you buy the smoked goat feet from shop, so that most of the hairs would have been already removed
• Once you bought it and ready to cook: Soak it in water for 30 minutes before you start cooking
• Scratch the black layer using knifes. Do no scratch in depth as it might take off the flesh from bones. Wash it couple of times in running water
• Now, if you feel there are still some tiny hair in it
  • Mix 2 tbsp. of Maida/all-purpose flour in a water to a paste and then rub it
  • Or rub it sea salt to remove tiny hairs
• Now, wash it again 2 to 4 times, drain the water

Method: 

1. Pressure cook:
   1. In a pressure cooker: add washed Paya/aatukal, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp of chili powder, 1/2 tsp of coriander powder, 1/2 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste,1 tsp of whole pepper corns, 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds, little salt, enough water
   2. Pressure cook it for 10 to 15 whistles on a medium flame. Then simmer it for another 20 minutes and switch off the flame.
   3. Do not open it until the pressure subsides completely

2. Preps (Chopping and Grinding):
   1. Peel the skin and chop small onions/shallots, tomatoes.
   2. Grind together coconut, fennel seeds and kas kas and filter the milk.
   3. Wash and Chop coriander leaves

3. Final step (Sauté and Cook):
   1. Heat oil in a pan; Temper bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel seeds.
   2. Once splutters add onions, sauté until it is shiny and soft
   3. Add ginger garlic paste and cook until raw smell goes off
   4. Add tomatoes, curry leaves and little salt; cook until tomatoes are dissolved and mashed with onions
   5. Add masala powders:
   6. Now add this mixture to the cooked goat feet along with the water. If needed add more water as required; check for salt and bring it to boil with lid covered
   7. Once started boiling, remove the lid, add extracted milk, simmer it for another 15 minutes
   8. Garnish with coriander leaves

Notes:

1. Mutton legs has to be cooked well. So, make sure to pressure cook it for atleast 10 to 15 minutes
2. If you prefer to cook it in a traditional method by boiling it in a pan, it takes atleast 3 hours to cook the mutton legs.
3. Adjust red chili powder as per the spicy level required

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