Bakra Eid is one of the most important holiday for us Muslims. The month of Hajj is not just sacred, but also very special. Eid inculcates the value of sharing and sacrifice. Most Muslim families offer sacrifice on this day, which is divided into 3 parts, one part being for the less fortunate or poor, second part for relatives and friends and third part to kept for yourself. As much as I grew up with these values, I never tried to understand the reason and philosophy behind them. Now, as a mature adult I understand the deep meaning of how the religious reasons are ways of making us more caring and attentive towards our community and people.
Although, back leg of a goat would be available at your local butcher any day, but there is something about the back leg that is kept from the Qurbaani [animal sacrifice] and is usually cooked after a few days or weeks. Trust me when I say, there is something special about the meat from Eid. A taste that you never get on the regular meat from your butcher. And I cook meat leg from Eid and regular meat back leg from the Butcher too.
This recipe is pretty simple. The thing that needs most attention is the way you make slits in the back leg. The deeper the cuts, the easier it is for the spices to make their way in the meat, making it more flavorful. The main ingredient in the marination will be raw papaya. Raw papaya acts as a meat tenderizer and makes sure your meat comes out cooked well from inside and also stays soft and juicy. In case you do not have raw papaya/ green papaya available, you can also use the store bought meat tenderizer powder and use according to the instructions by the manufacturer.
I always marinate Raan with 2 separate marination. The first one is with basic Raw papaya paste, roasted Cumin Powder, Turmeric powder and salt and set it aside for an hour. The second marination includes Ginger garlic paste, Red chili powder, Tandoori masala, Anardana powder, Yogurt and Vinegar. I also add butter to this marination , but you can always add Oil if you prefer a healthier version. This marination should be kept for at least 8 – 10 hours or overnight. Cooking this on a grill is the best way to have it. I have cooked them on Gas grills and charcoal grills as well. Oven might not be as good of an option though if you do not have an outdoor grill, you can always use the oven with a with the marinated back leg on a mesh tray and a tray underneath to catch any drippings.
This dish will definitely make simple day seem a special occasion and make your dining table look extremely fancy. Enjoy!!!