Saoji chicken, also known as Nagpur Chicken Curry is a famous and flavorful dish that hails from the city of Nagpur in India. This dish combines succulent chicken pieces with a rich, spicy gravy and has bold flavours, derived from a special blend of spices. It is perfect for those...
Ingredients
For Marination
- 1kgChicken Thigh (cut into pieces)
- 1tspTurmeric powder
- 1tspRed Chilli powder
- 1tspSalt
For Saoji Spice Paste
- 1/4Dry Coconut (flame-roasted & chopped)
- 10Dried Red Chillies/Bydagi Chillies
- 1tbspPoppy Seeds
- 1tbspWhite Sesame
- 2tbspStone Flower (Dagad Phool)
- 2in- Cinnamon Stick
- 1tbspCoriander Seeds
- 4Green Cardamoms
- 2Bay Leaves
- 1tbspCumin Seeds
- 6Cloves
- 1Star Anise
- 1blade Mace
- 2Black Cardamom
- 2tbspChanna Dal
- 1/2tbspFennel Seeds
- 3tbspSorghum Flour (Jowar)
- Water (as required for grinding)
For Curry Paste
- 2tbspOil
- 2cupOnion (sliced)
- 1in- Ginger
- 10cloves of Garlic
- 1/2cupfresh Coriander
For Cooking
- 1/3cupOil
- 1/8tspAsafoetida
- 1tbspKashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 4cupHot Water (as required)
- 1tspSalt (to taste)
- 1tbspSugar
- 3tbspLemon Juice (optional)
How to make Saoji Chicken
For Marination
Mix chicken pieces with turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt until well coated. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
For Saoji Spice Paste
Directly flame-roast dry coconut on high heat until nicely charred on the outside. Cool and chop them. Set aside.
On low-medium heat, dry roast the chillies, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, coriander seeds, green cardamoms, bay leaves, cumin seeds, cloves, star anise, mace, black cardamom, channa dal, and fennel seeds in a pan until aromatic.
Add the stone flower and sorghum flour to the pan. Roast for a few minutes, stirring continuously. Add the charred chopped coconut, and mix for a few seconds. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool completely.
Blend into a fine paste with water as needed. Set aside.
For Curry Paste
In the same pan, add oil and fry the onions, garlic, and ginger until slightly browned on high heat. Let it cool, then blend it into a smooth paste with fresh coriander leaves, adding water as necessary. Set aside.
For Cooking
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed wok over low heat. Add asafoetida and kashmiri red chilli powder.
Add the marinated chicken pieces, and sear on high heat for a few minutes.
Stir in the prepared Saoji spice paste and onion-coriander paste. Cook until the oil starts to separate.
Gradually add hot water to adjust the gravy’s consistency—season with salt, sugar, and lemon juice (optional). Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender.
Check the seasoning, adjust if necessary, and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve Saoji Chicken hot, accompanied by rice or Indian bread like chapati or bhakri. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
The consistency of the curry can be adjusted according to preference.
Saoji cuisine is known for its heat. If you're not accustomed to very spicy food, consider reducing the number of dried red chillies in the Saoji spice mix.
You can use less oil for this recipe but traditionally more oil is added.
Reviews
tarunk
My new favourite curry. Very spicy and nice.
Leena Kohli
(@leenakohli)
Elevate your confidence through the magic of home cooking with my easy-to-follow recipes 👩🍳✨