Sajji
A whole roasted lamb or chicken from Balochistan's nomadic tribal tradition, skewered and stood upright beside — not over — an open wood fire, so it roasts slowly without charring. Real, traditional sajji is marinated with little more than salt and sometimes a garlic-lemon water; the heavily spiced 'sajji masala' now common in Karachi and Lahore restaurants is a modern urban adaptation. It's traditionally served with kaak, a hard Balochi bread, with rice being another later, urbanized addition.
Meat
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (or a leg or shoulder of lamb)
- Salt
- Garlic-lemon water (optional)
Steps
- Marinate the meat in salted water, with garlic-lemon water if using, for a few hours.
- Skewer the meat whole and stand it upright beside an open charcoal or wood fire, not directly over it.
- Roast slowly, rotating occasionally, until deeply browned and cooked through — about 1-1.5 hours for chicken, 2-3 hours for lamb.
- Rest, then carve and serve with kaak bread.