History

Sali boti is a Parsi-Persian dish with apricots, vinegar and jaggery providing the signature sweet-sour balance against slow-cooked mutton. The crispy potato straws (sali) on top are unique to Parsi cooking and never appear pre-fried. Britannia, Jimmy Boy and Cafe Britannia all serve daily versions, and it remains the canonical Parsi wedding-table dish across Mumbai, often paired with dhansak rice.

Common allergens: Dairy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 80 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 600g mutton or chicken, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
  • 2 medium onions, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped
  • 8 dried apricots, soaked 30 minutes
  • 2 tablespoons malt vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon jaggery
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 30g ghee
  • Salt to taste
  • 300g potatoes, peeled and shredded fine into matchsticks for sali
  • Oil for deep-frying

Method

  1. Heat ghee in a heavy pot. Add sliced onion, cook 8 minutes until deep brown.
  2. Add ginger garlic paste, cook 1 minute. Add chopped tomato, cook 6 minutes until soft.
  3. Add chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and salt. Stir 1 minute.
  4. Add mutton pieces and brown 5 minutes.
  5. Add soaked apricots, vinegar, jaggery and 400ml hot water. Cover and cook 50 minutes until mutton is tender.
  6. Meanwhile soak shredded potato in cold salted water 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry.
  7. Heat frying oil to 170C. Fry potato matchsticks in batches until golden and crisp, drain on paper.
  8. Plate the mutton curry, top generously with crispy sali. Serve with pav or roti.

Tip from the editors. The sali must be paper-thin and crisp; a mandoline makes the cut even. The crispness contrasts the rich curry.

Where to eat sali boti

Sali boti in Mumbai

Britannia and Co ★ 4.7

Parsi$$fortMon-Fri 12:00-16:00, Sat 12:00-22:00, closed Sun

Britannia in Ballard Estate has poured Iranian zereshk berries over mutton pulao since 1923. Lunchtime only weekdays; Saturday opens until 22:00.

Signature: Berry pulao, Sali boti, Caramel custard

Order: Mutton berry pulao with a side of sali boti.

Tip: Cash only; arrive by 13:00 weekdays or the berry pulao runs out. Closed Sunday.

Wakefield House, 11 Sprott Road, Ballard Estate, Fort, Mumbai 400001

Jimmy Boy ★ 4.2

Parsi$$fortMon-Sat 08:00-23:00; Sun 08:00-16:00, 19:00-23:00

Fort Parsi institution at Vikas Building off Horniman Circle since 1925; only place in Mumbai serving Lagan nu Bhonu wedding meal, Patra ni Macchi, Salliboti.

Why locals love it: Off Horniman Circle in a heritage building, Parsi wedding-thali room with no signage past the entrance; locals book the Sunday thali a week ahead.

Tip: Sunday Parsi wedding thali is the order; book ahead. Cash and card both accepted.

Vikas Building, 11 Bank Street, Off Horniman Circle, Fort, Mumbai 400023

The Bombay Canteen ★ 4.7

Modern Indian$$$lower-parelMon-Fri 12:00-15:30, 19:00-01:30; Sat-Sun 11:00-01:30

Floyd Cardoz, Sameer Seth and Yash Bhanage opened The Bombay Canteen in Kamala Mills in 2015 and reframed regional Indian cooking as a tasting-format menu.

Signature: Eggs kejriwal, Ghee roast chicken seekh, Gulab nut

Order: Eggs kejriwal at brunch, ghee roast chicken seekh at dinner.

Tip: Sunday brunch books out a week ahead; the Canteen Experience tasting runs 3754 rupees.

Unit 1, Process House, Kamala Mills, Senapati Bapat Road, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013 Book →

More cities are in research. Want sali boti covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →