Lamb Raan Recipe - Our Head Chef's Perfect Lamb Raan Roast

Ahead of this year’s Eid celebrations Zouk Head Chef, Mangal Rawat, has shared his tips on how to best prepare and cook whole roast lamb raan. Making the perfect table centrepiece for your Eid celebrations, this lamb raan roast recipe is tender, and aromatic, creating a truly sensational culinary experience for you and your guests. From selecting the finest cut of lamb to the art of marination and the precise cooking process, be guided by the expertise of Mangal Rawat with this delicious lamb raan recipe.

Chef Mangal Shares His Tips For Preparing Lamb Raan

Eid al-Adha – the Festival of Sacrifice

If you are planning to celebrate Eid al-Adha at home this month then one of the most obvious choices for your family meal is roast lamb raan. Eid al-Adha or the ‘festival of sacrifice’ is one of two special Islamic holidays celebrated throughout the world. Lamb is very traditional for this celebration because it pays homage to the story of Ibrahim. Ibrahim was prepared to sacrifice his son at God’s command but instead sacrificed a whole lamb when God intervened. Traditionally a whole lamb or sheep would be prepared and cooked for the feast to commemorate this sacrifice. The sheep would then be divided into 3 parts. One part for the home, one for relatives and the third would be given to the poor and needy.

Often it is not practical to prepare and cook a whole lamb at home so a leg of lamb is chosen instead. At Zouk, we offer special roasts all year round and families or groups of friends choose to celebrate special occasions in the restaurant with a whole roast saji lamb or roasted leg of lamb which we serve up with all the trimmings.

ilovemanchester came to the restaurant to try out the famous Zouk Whole Stuffed Lamb Raan and wrote a review about the experience.

Whole Lamb or Leg of Lamb is Traditional At Eid Al-Adna

Tips from Chef Mangal

‘Lamb is so popular in the restaurant and if you follow these simple steps it is easy to prepare a traditional family meal that is satisfying and full of flavour.’ Head Chef, Mangal Rawat.

Sourcing and Preparing the Meat

Firstly, when buying your lamb be sure it is trimmed and prepared well. You want to see just a little of the fat remaining.
For the best flavour always go for baby lamb rather than mutton
The lamb shouldn’t have too much fat so excess should be removed
The lamb needs two marinades to infuse the meat with traditional spices and flavour but before you do this it is important to make deep scores at regular intervals all over the surface of the lamb with a sharp knife.

1st Marinade

For the first marinade, you should cover the lamb in a mixture of ginger and garlic paste, salt, lemon juice (fresh if possible) and mustard oil. This mixture acts to tenderise the meat and layer it with a base flavour.
Always leave the first marinade for a good hour before moving on to the next stage. This gives the ingredients time to properly soak into the meat.

The Second Marinade Should Be Worked In By Hand

2nd Marinade

The second marinade is purely about flavour and I would recommend leaving this for 24 hours in the fridge if you have the time. This period of time will really help you get the best flavour from the whole roast lamb raan.
Tikka Paste works well for the second marinade. At Zouk, we use our own tikka paste and you can find the details on our recipe blog.
I like to use my hands for this job to really work the marinade in.
The second marinade needs 24 hours to infuse the meat with flavour

Cooking

The cooking time will depend on the size of the lamb and whether you are cooking a leg or a whole lamb. Check with your butcher and be sure you have the full cooking instructions.
Make sure that before you place the lamb in the oven that your oven has been preheated to temperature. Always fully cover the lamb with foil to stop the meat from drying out during the cooking process. A good covering of foil will keep the lamb superbly juicy and tender.
Take the foil off the lamb just 10 to 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Be sure to baste the meat with the cooking juices and then place it back in the oven for the remaining time. This will give it a little crispy butter on the surface.
The best accompaniment for lamb raan is a thick spicy gravy. Make this with the remaining juices and then serve with a generous helping of roasted veg, potatoes and pilau rice.

If you are not feeling quite ready to dive into preparing roast raan lamb at home then you can still delight family and friends with our Zouk Saji roast lamb. As well as serving up this treat in the restaurant we can also cook it for you to take away and enjoy at home. Simply give the restaurant a call on 0161 233 1090 for details on how to place your order.

Shop authentic Indian spice blends for your kitchen

For all aspiring cooks, Zouk has released our brand new range of traditional Indian spice blends. Our selection of versatile spice blends is made only using premium ingredients and blended in small batches in the UK. Choose from the following spice pots:

Not sure which one to try? Opt for Zouk’s Spice Discover Kit which features all four of our signature spice blends, four tasty recipe cards, and a Zouk engraved teaspoon. Once you’ve finished your spice pot, you can top it up using one of our refill bags.

Make a booking for Eid al-Adha at Zouk

This Eid Zouk is offering a special set menu. Make your booking for Eid now.

Order Zouk Whole Roast Lamb Raan

If you are dining with a large group and would prefer to order Zouk's Whole Roast Lamb Raan to enjoy in the restaurant this dish must be pre-ordered 48 hours in advance. Please call the restaurant on 0161 233 1090 for more information or to discuss.

Useful Links

View the Eid al-Adna Special Set Menu

View our Zouk Tikka Paste recipe

Read about our Whole Roast Lamb Raan

Whole Roast Lamb Raan: Preparation & Cooking