Peshawari Siri Paye

Ingredients

• 500 g siri (beef or goat head pieces) (Ask your butcher to clean and chop — they'll know what this means. Goat head is more flavourful; beef head is meatier)
• 4 pieces paye (beef or goat trotters/feet) (Cleaned and split by the butcher. Scorching off the hair with flame is traditional — your butcher should do this)
• 2 medium piyaz (onion) (Halved)
• 2 inch piece adrak (fresh ginger) (Roughly sliced, don't peel)
• 6 cloves lehsun (garlic) (Whole, unpeeled)
• 5 pods badi elaichi (black cardamom) (Crushed lightly)
• 8 whole laung (cloves)
• 2 sticks darchini (cinnamon stick)
• 1.5 tsp kali mirch (black peppercorns)
• 3 leaves tez patta (bay leaves)
• 1 tsp saunf (fennel seeds) (KP signature — don't skip)
• 2 tsp namak (salt) (Add in the last hour of cooking)
• 0.5 tsp haldi (turmeric) (Optional — some Peshawari versions omit it entirely)
• 2 tbsp Raha ghee (For finishing — drizzle over before serving)
• 4 whole hari mirch (green chillies) (For serving)
• 1 inch piece adrak (fresh ginger julienned) (For serving — thin matchsticks)
• handful hara dhaniya (fresh coriander/cilantro) (For garnish)

Instructions

1. CLEAN AND BLANCH THE MEAT: Place the siri and paye pieces into a large degh (heavy-bottomed pot). Cover with cold water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Let it boil for 10 minutes. You will see a lot of grey and brownish foam rising — this is completely normal and expected. WHY: This first blanching step removes blood, impurities, and the 'gamey' smell that can be off-putting in head and trotter meat. It's the secret to a clean-tasting, clear broth. After 10 minutes, pour off this water entirely and rinse the meat pieces under cold running water.
2. BUILD THE BROTH: Return the cleaned siri and paye to the degh. Add 3 litres of fresh cold water. Add the halved onions, ginger, garlic, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, bay leaves, fennel seeds, and turmeric (if using). Bring everything to a boil over high heat. Skim off any new foam that appears — there will be less this time. Once boiling, reduce to the lowest heat setting. HINT: The broth should be at a very gentle simmer — you want lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. A hard boil makes the broth cloudy and can make the trotters tough.
3. THE LONG COOK: Cover the degh and cook on the lowest heat for 6 to 8 hours. Check every 1-2 hours and give it a gentle stir with a chamcha (ladle). If the water level drops below the meat, add hot water to keep everything submerged. At the 4-hour mark, the trotters should be soft and you'll see the skin beginning to come away from the bone. The broth will have turned a deep amber colour and will smell wonderfully fragrant. FUN FACT: The collagen in the trotters and head bones slowly converts to gelatin as it cooks — this is what gives siri paye broth its characteristic thick, lip-coating richness. It's natural and deeply nourishing.
4. TEST FOR DONENESS: After 6 hours, test the paye (trotters). The skin should separate easily from the bone when you press it with a spoon. The meat on the siri should be completely tender and falling apart. If not done, continue cooking for another 1-2 hours. WHY: Under-cooked siri paye is chewy and unpleasant. Over-cooked is fine — the meat will simply be even more tender. There's no such thing as too done here.
5. SEASON AND FINISH: In the last hour of cooking, add the salt to the broth. Stir and taste — it should be deeply savoury and fragrant. The broth may look quite thick at this point — that's perfect. Remove and discard the large pieces of onion, ginger, garlic, and any whole spices you can fish out with a spoon. HINT: Don't obsess about getting every whole spice out — the flavour is already in the broth. Just remove the obviously large pieces so guests aren't surprised by a mouthful of bay leaf.
6. SERVE IN BOWLS: Ladle the siri paye into deep serving bowls, making sure each person gets pieces of both siri (head meat) and paye (trotter with the gelatinous skin). Drizzle a little Raha ghee over the top of each bowl — it will pool and shimmer on the surface beautifully. The broth should be thick enough to coat the back of your spoon.
7. GARNISH AND EAT: Top each bowl with julienned fresh ginger, a few whole green chillies, and a generous handful of fresh coriander. The garnishes are not optional — they cut through the richness of the broth and add brightness. Eat immediately with Peshawari naan or any good thick bread, tearing pieces and dipping them into the broth. The traditional method is to eat with your hands, using the naan as a scoop. WHY: The heat of the broth begins to diminish quickly — siri paye should always be eaten as hot as possible.