Name: Nagpur Saoji Mutton
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Goat Meat, bone-in, curry cut; ¼ cup Dried Coconut, grated and roasted dark brown; ½ tbsp Poppy Seeds, roasted; 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds, roasted; ½ tsp Black Cumin, shahi jeera, roasted; 1 Black Cardamom, roasted; 2 Cloves, roasted; 1 inch Cinnamon Sticks, roasted; ½ Mace, roasted; 1½ Onion, sliced, roasted until dark brown; 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder, spicy variety; 2 tbsp Peanut Oil, essential for 'Tarri'; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste

2 hr 30 mintotal

1 hr 30 min hands-on1 hr hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 1 hr

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Extra Spicy

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Method

Prepare the signature Saoji Masala: Utilizing a splash of water, grind the dark roasted onions, dry coconut, poppy seeds, and all the dry-roasted whole spices into a deeply aromatic, fine paste.
Heat the groundnut oil in a pressure cooker. A generous oil base is essential to cultivate the classic, fiery 'Tarri' layer.
Fry the ginger-garlic paste for 2 minutes. Add the saoji masala paste and fry patiently on medium heat until the oil separates from it.
2 min
Stir in the red chilli powder and turmeric. Cook briefly for another minute to properly bloom the spices without burning them.
Introduce the marinated mutton. Roast the meat vigorously in the masala on high heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, ensuring the meat seals and intensely absorbs the complex flavors.
10–12 min
Pour in hot water to establish your preferred gravy thickness. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste.
Secure the pressure cooker lid and cook for 5-6 whistles, or until the mutton achieves an exceptional, fall-off-the-bone tenderness.
Permit the pressure to release naturally. Open to reveal a dark, profoundly rich curry crowned with red oil. Serve piping hot.

How to tell it's done

Extremely spicy, dark brown/blackish, robust watery gravy topped with a thick layer of fiery red oil ('Tarri'), holding fall-off-the-bone meat.

Getting it right

Tip

What marks out real Saoji cooking is roasting the onions and dry coconut right to the edge of blackening, and stopping just before they burn.

What to serve it with

Best savored with robust Bhakri (Jowar or Bajra roti), raw onion rings, and a sharp wedge of lemon to complement the extreme heat.

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Ingredients