5 min readMumbaiAug 8, 2026 01:44 PM IST
First published on: Aug 8, 2026 at 01:44 PM IST
Saoji cuisine, once the food of a weaving community before becoming a working-class meal and then the pride of the Saoji community and the city of Nagpur, has come under the spotlight after Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told an audience in Amravati, “If I ate that, I would fall sick for a month”—referring to Saoji mutton.
Although Nagpur and Saoji cuisine are now synonymous, the fiery Saoji masala and cuisine came from the Halba Koshti community. Originally from Madhya Pradesh, the community, known for its weaving skills, migrated to Nagpur in the late 19th century to work in Empress Mills and other textile industries being set up there.
But when the handloom industry declined, the community had to find new ways to sustain itself. The women turned to their culinary heritage, creating Saoji masala, made by blending 32 spices with jute or linseed oil. It became the soul of Saoji food, giving it its signature heat, depth, and boldness.
The flavourful, spicy food once prepared only within the community was soon being sold to the city’s working class as an affordable meal option for mill workers and labourers. Over time, Saoji bhojanalayas emerged, focusing purely on taste rather than presentation. Most offered simple arrangements, often limited to wooden benches and metal plates, with an emphasis on serving hot and freshly prepared meals. The cuisine eventually became a defining part of Nagpur’s food culture.
The soul of the cuisine: A 32-spice blend
The soul of the cuisine lies in its masala—a blend of 32 spices, slow-cooked using either linseed or jute oil. The cooking process involves the slow roasting of spices, allowing them to release their oils and intensify the overall flavour. The choice of oil plays a significant role in the overall taste and texture of the dishes, giving them a distinct character that sets them apart from other regional cuisines.
“Some of the spices used in this blend include peppercorns, star anise, coriander, cardamom, coconut, poppy seeds, plenty of red chillies, cloves, bay leaf and nutmeg. In addition, there are a few whole spices that are also pounded and added to the dish,” said Shilpi Gulati, a Punjabi who grew up in Nagpur and learnt this cuisine from her friends who hail from the Saoji community. She later started House of Saoji, a cloud kitchen, in Pune in 2021. “The coconut and other spices are roasted until they turn almost black, which adds a dark tone. It is a very different kala masala, used widely in Vidarbha,” she explained.
The meat, typically goat, is simmered in the spice blend for hours until it absorbs the essence of the masala, resulting in a dish that is rich, aromatic, and deeply satisfying. For those unfamiliar with Saoji food, the first taste can be overwhelming. The heat from the chillies, combined with the warmth of other spices, creates an experience that is intense yet addictive.
A thin layer of oil on top? Mark of a ‘proper’ Saoji dish
The food is unapologetically spicy and oily. Saoji curries, Gulati said, have a medium-thin body, are deep reddish-black in colour, and have a visible layer of oil on top—traditionally seen as a mark of a “proper” Saoji preparation. “It is very fiery or hot because it is very hot in Nagpur and the cuisine helps people regulate the temperature,” she added.
The food was originally cooked in earthen pots, and the community mostly cooked mutton. Over the years, chicken versions emerged, and today some restaurants even make Saoji paneer and jackfruit dishes. But the cuisine remains predominantly non-vegetarian.
The cuisine has also outgrown its bhojnalaya origins—chefs across Mumbai and Pune are now recreating it for a wider audience, and diners from outside Maharashtra travel to Nagpur specifically to eat it.
“Back in the Nagpur/Vidarbha region, people love Saoji cuisine. Our founder Nitin Dhankute thought of bringing this food in a more family-style restaurant format to Mumbai. We opened our first outlet in Juhu to a great reception—so many cricketers and Marathi actors came and liked our food. A lot of our customers there came from Thane, so we opened another branch here,” said Mohit Fune, 31, one of the owners of Orange City Saoji, adding, “If you see online, there are a few people who have written bad reviews saying our food is spicy, but that’s the nature of this cuisine. It won’t remain Saoji if we change the spice levels.”
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told an audience in Amravati that he would fall sick if he ate Saoji mutton (left). 
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