Lamb Raan

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Lamb Raan made easy!

Lamb raan is a real treat. Many curry houses serve it but don’t expect to simply walk in and order. Most restaurants will ask for two to three days notice and a deposit if you want to treat your family and/or friends to a leg of lamb raan.

The reason for this is that it isn’t ordered often and the leg of lamb should really be marinated for 48 to 72 hours for best results. Here I would like to show you how it’s done and don’t forget the naans and chutneys to go with it!

What is lamb raan?

Raan means leg in Hindi so this is a leg of lamb. In India and Pakistan, you will find lamb raan made with mutton or goat too.

I have tried both and they are great options too.

About this lamb raan recipe

I’ve experimented with many lamb raan recipes over the years. You will find some more complicated than others but this lamb raan is quite easy. It’s so easy, I included the recipe in my cookbook ‘The Curry Guy Easy’ so that’s saying something.

The spicing is perfect for the lamb and really the most difficult part of making this lamb raan is waiting 48 to 72 hours for it to marinate. You are going to love this simple recipe and no… no one you serve this lamb raan to will have any ideas it’s so easy to prepare.

How do you cook lamb raan

If you are a big fan of lamb that is cooked pink in the middle like me, you might be a bit worried when you read the recipe below. Believe me, you need not worry. The lamb raan is slowly cooked for about two and a half hours in the oven or on a barbecue. The slow cooking method produces and well done leg of lamb that is just as juicy as any medium rare cooked lamb.

After you are finished slow cooking the lamb raan, you turn the heat of your oven right up to char it some. If cooking on a barbecue, you can slap it right down over direct high heat and char to your liking. 

Working ahead

You can prepare the marinade a good five days ahead of cooking. Just ensure everything is in date before doing so.

Your lamb raan will be best if you leave it to marinate for 72 hours so this can of course be started earlier rather than later too.

Then all you need to do is follow the cooking instructions below and serve up delicious lamb raan to your family and friends.

Can you do anything with the leftovers?

Yes. If you have any leftovers, you can add it to curry house style curry sauces. Curry house curries call for pre-cooked meat and this is some of the best.

If you don’t have much lamb raan meat leftover, you can still make this delicious and easy lamb soup. Use the bone to make this lamb stock and you will have one amazing soup in minutes!

What do you serve with this leg of lamb?

Anything you like really. But if you want to serve it as part of a feast, I can highly recommend serving it with samosas, naans or chapatis and of course a few good chutneys.

If you really want to start your lamb raan feast off with a tasty start, why not try making your own poppadoms or onion bhajis? They are so good and better than you will find at most expensive Indian restaurants.

Does the lamb raan have to marinate so long?

No. You could get away with just marinating the meat for a couple of hours. That said, the longer you allow the meat to marinate, the better.

Step by step photographs

Optional gravy recipe

Lately I have been skipping the gravy and opting for homemade chutneys. Someday I will probably go back to making gravy.

You can make a gravy for this lamb raan very easily. Just place the lamb juices with all the onions, cinnamon and bay leaves over a medium heat. Add about 250ml (1 cup) water or lamb stock and bring to a simmer.

Then whisk in the reserved marinade one tablespoon at a time. Pass it all through a sieve and serve hot with the lamb raan.