Paya (food)
South Asian spicy meat soup or curry
It is served at various festivals and gatherings, or made for special guests. Paayameans 'legs' in Urdu.
The main ingredients of the dish are the fritters (or hoof of a cow, goat, buffalo or sheep. It is cooked with various spices.
Origins
The paya originated from the amalgamation of South and Central Asian cuisine. In Central Asia, it was known as pacha. The dish was adapted to the local cuisines by the Muslim cooks of Lahore, Hyderabad of Telangana State and Lucknow.
Paya has became very popular all over present India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Outside of the Indian subcontinent, Paya is available in restaurants that serve South Asian cuisine. In Delhi, it is sometimes also referred to as "khurode" from the "khur" or hoof.
Recipe
Recipes for this dish vary regionally. The soup base is created by sautéed onions and garlic, where a number of curry-based spices are then added to the meat and bones. The cooked dish is served with a garnish of fresh diced ginger and fresh long coriander leaves, along with fresh sliced lemon.
It is cooked on mild heat for hours (usually overnight) on the stove. However, nowadays it is mostly cooked in a pressure cooker.
Historically, when people used wood or coal as a cooking fuel, preparation of this dish would start at night, slow cooking it in the coals until the morning. This dish has a soup-like consistency and is usually eaten as a breakfast food in the winter months with naan.
There are many variations of this dish. A popular variation is siri paya where Siri means the head of an animal and Paya means the feet. It is considered a delicacy.