Stranger Foods

IndianSalli boti

Serves 4-6 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 2 hr 45 mins

This is a first-rate Parsi classic, the best example of which is served in the inimitable Britannia & Co. Tender chunks of lamb (goat, if you’re in Bombay) are braised in a rich and flavoursome gravy then finished with crunchy salli crisp-chips. When served with a hot, buttered chapati and a bowl of kachumber, there are fewer more satisfying lunches. Ours is served with handkerchief-thin roomali roti.

Source: Dishoom

Ingredients

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Imperial

x0.5

150 ml vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
500 g red onions, diced
1 kg boneless leg of lamb, cut into 3 cm pieces
50 g garlic paste
35 g ginger paste
2 tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp fine sea salt
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
40 ml distilled white vinegar (pickling vinegar)
35 g jaggery
1 tsp garam masala

To serve

Salli
Chapatis
Kachumber

Instructions

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°F

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Warm a large saucepan or flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Toss in the cinnamon stick and bay leaves and sauté for ; they should sizzle.
Add the red onions and cook until well caramelised, but still soft. This will take around , and needs to be done over a reasonably high heat, stirring very regularly, rather than “low and slow”.
Add the lamb pieces and stir well. Turn the heat down a little and let them cook for , so the meat starts to release some moisture.
Stir in the garlic and ginger pastes and sauté for , being careful not to let the garlic burn (add a little water if you need to). Add the chilli powder, turmeric and salt and cook for .
Tip in the chopped tomatoes and cook until they have completely broken down and you see the oil separate from the sauce; this should take around . If the pan starts to become dry before the tomatoes have completely fallen apart, add a splash of water.
Top up with 150-200 ml water, so that the lamb is just covered, and turn the heat down low. Put the lid on, at a slight angle so there is a gap to let some heat escape, and simmer gently for , or until the lamb is very tender, stirring occasionally. Top up with a little water if the lamb becomes exposed above the level of the liquid, but don’t add more than you need to, as this will dilute the flavour.
Once the lamb is tender, add the vinegar, jaggery and garam masala and cook gently for a final . Serve garnished with a big handful of salli, with the bread and kachumber on the side.

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