Pasanday at Home: Thin Mutton Slices, Tender Gravy

Pasanday is a dinner-party dish with a reputation for being fussy, and that reputation is half deserved. The steps are simple. The trouble is that each one has a small trap: slices cut with the grain, a marinade left too long, onions pulled out too pale. Get these right and the meat is soft enough to cut with a spoon.

Here is how the pasanday recipe on this site works, stage by stage, with the reasons behind the numbers.

Slicing: across the grain, 3 mm thick

The recipe calls for 600 g (1.3 lb) of boneless leg, sliced across the grain about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Look at the meat before cutting. You will see fine parallel lines; cut perpendicular to them. Slices cut with the grain stay chewy no matter how long they cook.

Partly freezing the meat for 30 to 45 minutes makes it firm enough to slice thin. Otherwise ask the butcher to slice it. The tip in our recipe is the same: leg meat, sliced thin, across the grain.

Pound lightly, then marinate

Lay the slices between two sheets of cling film and pound them with a mallet until about half as thick. Light taps, not whacks. You want them thin and even, not shredded.

The marinade is 2 tablespoons of raw papaya paste, 200 g (3/4 cup) of yogurt, ginger, garlic, 1.5 teaspoons of red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon each of coriander powder, roasted ground cumin and garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

The papaya window

Raw papaya contains an enzyme that breaks down meat protein. That is why it works so well on thin slices, and also why it can go wrong. The recipe tip is a hard rule: do not marinate longer than about 8 hours, or the meat turns mushy.

Four hours is a safe target. If you start at lunch for a dinner service, you are fine. If you prepare it the night before, leave the papaya out and rely on the yogurt, or marinate the meat with papaya for no more than 4 hours and then drain the extra marinade.

Raw papaya paste is sold at some South Asian and Middle Eastern shops, often as a frozen or bottled product. Use the amount in the recipe. More does not mean softer; it means mushier.

Onions and nuts: the gravy

Heat 120 ml (1/2 cup) of oil in a wide heavy pot and fry 3 thinly sliced onions for about 12 minutes until deep golden. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and leave the oil. Blend them with 30 g (1 oz) of soaked almonds or cashews and 3 tablespoons of water into a smooth paste.

The fried onion gives sweetness and colour, and the nuts give body. If the paste is gritty, add another tablespoon of water and keep blending. A good blender makes a big difference here, so blend longer than you think necessary.

Do not let the onions go dark. They go in the blender, so any bitterness goes into the whole gravy.

Frying and simmering

Return the pot to high heat, add the marinated meat with all of its marinade and fry for about 8 minutes, stirring, until the liquid dries and the oil separates. This is the same stage we describe in how to bhunno without burning: you need to see oil, not just hear sizzle.

Then stir in the onion-nut paste with 250 ml (1 cup) of hot water. Cover and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the meat is soft. If the base starts to catch, add a splash of hot water, never cold.

Finish uncovered on high heat for about 8 minutes, stirring, until the gravy is thick and coats each slice. Scatter 3 sliced green chillies and 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander over the top.

Timing sheet

Plan on about 80 minutes of cooking plus the 4-hour marinade.

When it comes out tough or stringy

• Tough after 45 minutes: the slices were cut with the grain, or the meat is from an older animal. Add 10 minutes covered with a little hot water and test again.
• Mushy: the papaya sat too long.
• Thin gravy: the final uncovered stage was cut short. Keep stirring on high until it clings.
• Gravy has a grainy feel: the nuts were not blended long enough, or were not soaked.

Serving and storing

Pasanday keeps well. The gravy thickens as it cools, so loosen it with a splash of hot water when you reheat it, and bring it to steaming hot before serving. It will keep about 3 days in the fridge in a covered container, cooled within an hour of cooking. For a dinner party, make it the day before: the flavour settles and you only reheat on the day.

Where it fits

Pasanday sits closer to chicken qorma in smoothness and richer than bhuna gosht. Serve it with naan or roti and a plain pulao. For a family dinner where not everyone eats mutton, Degchi's pantry planner can help check what else is already in your kitchen. <!-- VERIFY: raw papaya enzyme (papain) softens meat protein and over-marinating turns it mushy (supported by recipe tip); freezing meat 30-45 min to slice thin is general practice -->