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This show stopping aromatic roasted lamb leg also known as raan musallam or mutton leg roast makes an excellent centrepiece to any feast.
This mutton leg roast is a real treat with a touch of royalty. If you are expecting some special guest to visit, hosting a dinner party or want to surprise your family with a delicious, succulent and wholesome meal, try this roasted leg of lamb! It will fill your home an amazing aroma.
In this recipe the whole leg of lamb is first marinated with a yogurt-based marinade, then steamed cooked till perfectly tender and then baked in oven until golden brown color appears on it and finally a thickened gravy (made with pan juices) is poured over it to be enjoyed with naan, salad and chutneys.
A wonderful mix of aromatic spices with thick yogurt lend it that finger-licking taste. The long marination time and slow cooking makes the meat so juicy and tender. Greek yogurt in the marinade gives a thick and rich consistency to the gravy. All the required ingredients are easily available.
The process is a bit lengthy and needs some planning but this is a surprisingly easy dish to make and its definitely worth the effort! Enjoy this juicy decadent feast with your family and let me know in comments, how it turned out.
If you give this recipe a try, please share a photo with me on my Instagram.
Ingredients you’ll need to make this roasted raan:
For Marination:
For Steaming:
For Garnishing:
Can I freeze this mutton leg roast?
- Yes, this recipe is freezer friendly! Just marinate the mutton leg and freeze in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Be sure to thaw it out in the refrigerator before cooking it.
or
- The leftovers can be stored for later use in the freezer up to 2 months in freezer bag or sealed container.
Can I make it ahead of time?
- It’s always a good idea to marinate the lamb leg ahead of time. The key to a soft and tender meat is marination, the longer you marinate it the tender it will be. If you are not using papaya powder, then let it marinate for 24 hours or maximum until 72 hours for best results.
- You can even marinate the mutton in advance and freeze.
What can I do with the leftovers?
- You can make a quick curry using the leftovers of this recipe.
- The leftovers are great for sandwiches, salads and wraps.
- I made mutton karahi from the leftovers.
What to serve this mutton leg roast with?
- So many things can be a great accompaniment to this gourmet dish. Serve with grilled vegetables and boiled rice.
- When sprinkled with sesame seeds, chaat masala and red chili flakes and served with naan, salad, green chutney, imli chutney and a thickened gravy (made with pan juices), make it a perfect meal. Some great accompaniments to this recipe:
Recipe Notes:
- If you don’t have an access to the oven, roast the lamb in some oil in a wide pan to give it a beautiful brown color. I did this to roast the whole chicken, check out the method here.
- You can use goat leg for this recipe instead of lamb leg.
- The size of lamb leg is so important, it should fit in the pot.
- It would be better to use whole leg of lamb with a good coating of fat but if you don’t like you can trim the extra fat.
- I have used mutton leg for this recipe but you can also use mutton shoulder.
- You can use fresh papaya paste instead of papaya powder.
- This recipe also works with chicken roast.
Complementary Tip!
You can also make a bone broth / stock using the leftover bones of this lamb roast. Just add the bones, salt and water in a pot and let it simmer for about 1 hour on low heat. Once cool, strain it and then use it in the dishes instead of water for more flavour.
Tips for tender and juicy meat:
- For better results, try getting meat from a younger lamb.
- If you are not using papaya or any meat tenderizer then let it marinate for 24 hours or little longer (maximum until 72 hours) for best results. The key of a soft, flavorful and tender meat is marination, the longer you can leave it to marinate the tender and juicy it will be.
The equipments, tools or ingredients I used:
- I used steamer wok to cook this lamb leg.
- Prick the leg of lamb with a sharp knife all over.
- I used big cutting board to prick the lamb leg.
- Flip the lamb leg over carefully using 2 wooden spatulas.
- Glass lemon squeezer is my absolute favourite.
- I use hand blender to make tomatoes and onions purees.
- For water measurements I use glass jugs.
- For carving the lamb leg I used carving fork and knife.
- I use reusable freezer bags.
- For freezing the meals, I use the sealed containers.
- I prefer using Himalayan salt for my recipes.
With Pictures and Links:
Watch how to make this lamb leg roast:
To make your spread perfect, try out these recipes:
- Beef Pulao
- Adana Kebab
- Beef Karahi
- BBQ Chicken Tikka in Oven
- Barfi
- Also check out the recipe of Baked Masala Mutton Leg / Shoulder
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Ingredients
- Mutton Leg (cleaned and extra fat trimmed) – 2.5 kg approx.
For Marinade:
- Greek Yogurt – 1 cup
- Onions (pureed) – 2 medium size
- Tomatoes (pureed) – 2 medium size
- Garlic (chopped) – 2 tablespoons
- Ginger (chopped) – 2 tablespoons
- Lemon Juice – 2 tablespoons
- Desi Ghee or Clarified Butter – 2 tablespoons
- Papaya Powder – 2 tablespoons
- Almonds Powder – 2 tablespoons
- Himalayan Pink Salt – 1 tablespoon or to taste
- Coriander Powder – 1 tablespoon
- Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – 1 tablespoon
- Garam Masala Powder – 1 tablespoon
- Cumin Powder – 1 tablespoon
- Turmeric Powder – 1 teaspoon
- Black Pepper Powder – ½ tablespoon
- Green Cardamom Powder – 1 teaspoon
For Steaming:
- Water – as required
- Green Chillies – 3 or 4
- Star Anise – 2
- Cloves – 5 or 6
- Cinnamon Sticks – 2
- Bay Leaves – 2
For Garnishing:
- Red Chilli Flakes – 1 teaspoon
- Chaat Masala – 1 teaspoon
- Sesame Seeds – 1 teaspoon
Instructions
Step by step recipe is given below:
- In a bowl, add yogurt, onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, clarified butter, papaya powder, almonds powder, salt, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric powder, black pepper and green cardamom powder. Whisk well.
- Prick the leg of lamb with a sharp and pointed knife all over. Once you have inserted the knife, twist the knife round fully 360°. It will help the marinade to properly infuse its taste in the meat.
- Pour the prepared marinade all over the meat. Rub it all over the lamb thoroughly, pushing it into the slits. Make sure all of the meat is evenly covered with the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate it for 12 hours or overnight.
- Remove the marinated mutton leg from the refrigerator about an hour or two before you begin cooking so that the meat comes to room temperature. This is to ensure the meat cooks evenly.
- In a wide steaming pan, add water, green chillies, star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, bring it to boil and then place steam rack.
- Place the marinated mutton leg over the rack and pour the remaining marinade over it. Cover and steam cook on low flame for about 1.5 hours or until meat is coming off the bone. Checking at intervals.
- Reserve the gravy. Transfer the steamed leg into a baking tray and bake it in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown color appears.
- Bring the reserved gravy to simmer until it thickens, discard the whole spices.
- Remove the lamb leg from oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes (covered).
- Transfer to a platter, pour the prepared sauce (thickened gravy) over it and serve it hot, garnished with Lemon Wedges. Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds, Chaat Masala and Red Chili Flakes.
Serve with Naan, Salad, Green Chutney and Imli Chutney. Enjoy! And Remember ‘COOKING IS EASY’!
Notes
- If you don’t have an access to the oven, roast the lamb in some oil in a wide pan to give it a beautiful brown color.
- You can use goat leg for this recipe instead of lamb leg.
- The size of lamb leg is so important, it should fit in the pot.
- You can use fresh papaya paste instead of papaya powder.
