Parsi mutton curry topped with crispy fried potato straws called sali. The wedding-dinner staple of Mumbai's Parsi community; sweet and tangy with apricot, jaggery and vinegar balancing the meat.

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.

Where to eat Sali boti in Mumbai

3 editor picks for Sali boti in Mumbai, ranked by editorial score. All Mumbai signature dishes · Sali boti across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 480 minIntermediate

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.

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

Common allergens: Dairy.