Want to cook up a feast at home? Chef Enayatullah Safi shares recipe to prepare the perfect raan

Preparing a feast from scratch at home is very easy, said no home cook ever. However, if the food and company are both excellent, it can become an enjoyable experience.

Chef Enayatullah Safi’s raan recipe serves six to eight people.

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To help prepare something really special for such an occasion, Chef Enayatullah Safi, celebrity chef based in Denmark and founder of Dhaba Indian Kitchen, shared his signature raan recipe with HT Lifestyle.

Describing the dish, Chef Safu stated, “Raan is one of the grand classics of North Indian cuisine. A whole leg of lamb is marinated in yoghurt, spices, and garlic, then slow-roasted until the meat falls effortlessly from the bone. Traditionally, the dish is cooked in a tandoor, where intense heat imparts a deep smoky flavour. This version has been adapted for a conventional oven without losing any of its magnificence. The result is succulent, tender lamb bathed in a rich, aromatic sauce.”

The following recipe serves six to eight people. The preparation time is one hour, marinating time 24 hours, followed by cooking time of five to six hours. The detailed steps are as follows.

Ingredients

For marinade

• 250 g Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp browned onion paste (or caramelised onions, blended)
• A pinch of saffron
• 2 tbsp warm milk
• 1 tbsp butter or ghee

For lamb and vegetables

• 2.5–3.5 kg leg of lamb
• 4 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 kg potatoes
• 2 onions
• 1 whole garlic bulb
• 2 organic limes

Method of preparation

1. Pierce the leg of lamb deeply all over with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, chilli powder, black pepper, garam masala, cumin, coriander powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and browned onion paste.
3. Soak the saffron in the warm milk for a few minutes, then stir it into the marinade.
4. Massage the marinade thoroughly into every part of the lamb leg. Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) conventional heat.
6. Grease a large roasting tray with oil or ghee.
7. Halve any large potatoes. Peel the onions and cut them into wedges. Separate and lightly crush the garlic cloves. Cut the limes into wedges.
8. Arrange the potatoes, onions, garlic, and lime wedges in the roasting tray. Season lightly with salt.
9. Place the marinated lamb on top of the vegetables and pour over any remaining marinade.
10. Cover the tray tightly with aluminium foil and roast for 5–6 hours, turning the lamb a couple of times during cooking and basting it with the juices from the tray.
11. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 200°C (390°F), and roast for a further 30 minutes until beautifully browned.
12. The lamb is ready when it is so tender that it easily falls away from the bone.
13. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

To Serve

• Serve the lamb directly from the roasting tray, or shred the meat from the bone with two forks and present it as pulled lamb.
• Pair with rumali roti or naan, a refreshing mint dip, and garnish generously with fresh coriander. Finish with a drizzle of melted ghee for an extra layer of richness and aroma.

Chef’s Note: Raan is a celebratory dish often prepared for weddings, festivals, and family gatherings across the Indian subcontinent. The long marination and slow roasting transform the lamb into something truly special—deeply flavoured, aromatic, and irresistibly tender.