Pathar Ka Gosht
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Thin slices of marinated lamb or goat cooked directly on a scorching hot granite slab, sizzling tableside. The meat is marinated in a paste of raw papaya, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and a squeeze of lime, then slapped onto the heated stone where it sears in seconds. The granite retains heat so evenly that the meat cooks without any oil, developing a smoky char while staying impossibly tender inside. Invented in the royal kitchens of the Nizam of Hyderabad, it was originally a hunting camp technique where flat river stones served as improvised griddles. Today it survives in a handful of Old City restaurants near the Charminar, served with roomali roti so thin you can read a newspaper through it.
Ingredients
- 500 gboneless lamb leg (thinly sliced)
- 2 tbspraw papaya paste
- 1 tbspginger paste
- 1 tbspgarlic paste
- 4 piecesgreen chilies (slit)
- 2 tbsplime juice
- 1 tspred chili powder
- 0.5 tspturmeric powder
- 1 tspcoriander powder
- to tastesalt
- 1 tspblack pepper (coarsely ground)
- a handfulfresh mint leaves
- 2 tbspfresh coriander leaves
Directions
- 1
Slice the lamb into thin, flat pieces about 5mm thick, trimming off any excess fat or sinew.
- 2
Make the marinade by combining raw papaya paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, lime juice, red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl.
- 3
Coat the lamb slices thoroughly in the marinade, tuck in the slit green chilies, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is ideal for maximum tenderness).
- 4
Heat a thick granite slab, cast iron griddle, or heavy stone plate over high flame for at least 20 minutes until it is searingly hot. Do not oil the surface.
- 5
Place the marinated lamb slices directly onto the hot stone in a single layer. They should sizzle immediately on contact.
- 6
Cook for 60 to 90 seconds per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until charred on the outside and just cooked through.
- 7
Transfer to a warm plate, scatter with fresh mint and coriander leaves, and serve immediately with roomali roti or naan.