SAVJI/ SAOJI MUTTON MASALA

The saoji/ savji community has its origin in the Mlawa region of India. It is known for its hot and spicy non-vegetarian delicacies prepared with its special Saoji masala. This community is mainly non-vegetarian. Mutton, chicken and fish are an integral part of Saoji Bhojanalayas [eateries] are quite popular in place like Hubli, Bangalore, Belgaum, Nagpur and Solapur. Saoji food has been around a long time in and around Nagpur. But recent  years have elevated this simple recipe from the peripheral and made it synonymous with Nagpur food. Once known for its Oranges, the city is as well known for Saoji food and like most of the Varhadi recipes from the central part of India. 

This Saoji mutton recipe is super hot and spicy. Nagpur’s love for mutton flares up the moment dishes are pronounced- mutton masala, bhuna masala,mutton saoji and not to forget the tempting kheema kaleji and super tasting khur and nalli cooked in specific assortment of spices. I love to experiment the flavors of different cuisines and would like to cook at home to learn about the spices used by different  people across the country. So I thought of trying some of the popular recipes. Saoji mutton is one such recipe. It is aromatic dish which spice up the gravy with the whole spices. This gravy goes well with chapatti, naan, idli, dosa or steamed rice. So here is my step by step recipe with pics .

📌📌 Watch the full video recipe here 📌📌

INGREDIENTS:
500 grams Mutton pieces
4-5 medium sized Onions, sliced
1/2 cup Dry Desiccated Coconut
2 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
2 tablespoon Ginger-garlic Paste
8-10 whole Red Chillies
2 tablespoon Caraway Seeds
1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
20 Black Peppercorn
3-4 Green Cardamom
4-5 Black Cardamom
4-5 Bay Leaves
1-2 Mace
1 tablespoon Stone Flower (Dagad Phool)
1 inch stick of Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Sorghum flour
Salt as per taste
4-6 Cloves
Oil
For Marination:
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
Salt

METHOD:
STEP 1 - Wash the mutton pieces under running water.

Remove water and add turmeric powder and salt in it and mix well. Keep this for 1/2 an hour.

STEP 2 - By that time, heat a non-stick pan with oil and add sliced onion in it. Roast it well golden brown stirring it time-to-time. Keep it aside.

STEP 3 - Now in the same pan, add 1 teaspoon oil, add cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, black peppercorn, dagad phool in it. Saute it for 1-2 minutes.
STEP 4 - Then add coriander seeds, caraway seeds in it and saute well and roast for another 1-2 minutes on low flame.
STEP 5 - After that add desiccated coconut and khus-khus in it and roast it well. Once the garam masala starts emitting an aroma, switch off the flame.
STEP 6 - Lastly, roast dry chillies with a teaspoonful oil. Remove it and cool down the roasted garam masala/sliced to room temperature.

STEP 7 - Add sorghum flour to it and transfer it to a mixer grinder. Grind all these ingredients to a fine paste. Remove it from the mixer jar.

STEP 8 - Now make a fine paste of roasted onion.

STEP 9 - Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add mutton pieces in it and saute the mutton till golden brown on high flame.

Then add ginger-garlic paste in it and mix well and cook till the raw smell goes away.

STEP 10 - Add the fine onion paste in the cooker, saute well then add the fine ground paste of roasted garam masala with salt. Mix well and then saute well for 3-4 minutes. Season it with salt.

STEP 11 -Then add water (about 3 cups) in it and mix. Bring a boil.

STEP 12 - Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and cook under pressure till 3-4 whistles.

STEP 13 - Let the pressure reduce completely before opening the lid. Add chopped coriander and serve.

STEP 14 - Serve hot with roti, paratha, bhakri or steamed rice.