Ramadan is not only that auspicious month in the Islamic calendar, but also a chance for people across different cultures to get a taste of some of the most mouth-watering and sought after festive dishes, cooked with utmost dexterity. One such example is the raan, which is popularly cooked during Iftar, and is a must try for all the meat lovers out there. Once considered a great finger licking experience for the great Mughal Kings, it goes way back to nomadic roots, developing in campfires and military kitchens in Central Asia as food for tribesmen and warriors.
This lamb dish is cooked with the toughest cut of the lamb - the hind leg, which is usually used for keema. The secret to cooking raan lies in taking the toughest meat of the lamb and making it so tender and succulent "that you are able to eat it with a spoon". Yes, that's the challenge experts confidently swear on. A decade old trick is in taking half a seer of mutton (0.625 grams) and then cooking it in half a seer of chaach or buttermilk. This slow cooking in buttermilk is what breaks down the tough membranes and softens the meat.
However, different culinary masters have their own tricks to make a perfect raan. Mr. Munaf Kapadia from The Bohri Kitchen reveals, "The secret of that softness in the dish lies in the marination. We usually marinate the raan for over 48 hours and then refrigerate it before cooking it for about an hour or two.