Paye
Also: Paya, Paya curry, Trotter curry, Khade masale ki nihari (regional)
A South Asian slow-simmered stew of goat, lamb, or beef trotters cooked overnight in an aromatic spiced broth until the collagen renders into a gelatinous, deeply savoury soup.
Identity criteria
- 1Made from animal trotters/feet (goat, lamb, or beef) — the hooves are the defining ingredient
- 2Simmered for many hours (often overnight) so collagen breaks down into a rich, sticky, gelatinous broth
- 3Aromatic spice base (ginger, garlic, whole and ground spices) defining the curry
- 4Served as a hearty weekend breakfast, eaten with naan or kulcha
- 5Garnished with fresh ginger, coriander, and chili before serving
Components
Trotters/feet of goat, lamb, or beefessentialThe hooves and their collagen are the whole point
Ginger, garlic, onionessential
Oil/ghee and rendered fatessential
Water/broth from the long simmeressentialBecomes naturally gelatinous from rendered collagen
Whole and ground spices (turmeric, coriander, cumin, red chili, garam masala)essential
Julienned ginger, fresh coriander, green chili, lemonoptional
Technique
- Overnight slow simmering
- Long low heat renders collagen from the trotters into a silky, gelatin-rich broth
- Bhuna / spice tempering
- Frying the aromatics and spices builds the deep curry base
Form & serving
- Served
- In a bowl as a broth with trotter pieces, garnished
- Temperature
- Hot
- Portion
- A bowl, shared with bread
- Pairs with
- naan · kulcha · tandoori roti · lemon wedges
Character
Flavour
Texture
Silky gelatinous broth with soft trotter cartilage and tender meat
Eaten
A celebratory, communal weekend breakfast (especially Sundays) eaten with bread among family or at specialist eateries.
When
winter · year-round
Variations & related
Regional variations
- Lahori paye · Lahore, Pakistan
Famous rich weekend-breakfast version
- Beef paye · Pakistan/North India
Made with beef trotters where eaten
- Goat/lamb paye · Across South Asia
Common where mutton trotters are preferred
Related dishes
- sibling Nihari
Another slow-cooked aromatic meat stew eaten as breakfast; sometimes combined as nihari-paya
- pairs-with Naan
The standard bread for soaking the broth
Substitutions
Trotters/feet → Boneless meat cutsinadmissible
Without the hooves there is no collagen gelatin — it ceases to be paye
Long overnight simmer → Quick pressure-cook onlyadmissible
Pressure cooking can substitute for time but skipping the long break-down loses the silky texture
Goat trotters → Lamb or beef trottersadmissible
Authentic regional alternatives
Common mistakes
- Not cooking long enough so the broth stays thin instead of gelatinous
- Inadequate cleaning of trotters leaving an off odour
- Using boneless meat instead of trotters, losing the defining collagen
- Skimping on fresh ginger and coriander garnish that lifts the rich broth
Provenance
A long-standing South Asian (Mughlai-influenced) dish of slow-cooked trotters, central to Pakistani and North Indian weekend breakfasts; the name 'paye' literally means feet/legs.
Shared by: Pakistan, India
References
- 1.Pakistani and North Indian culinary tradition
Confidence: high