Sajji (Balochi-Style Roast Chicken)
Local name: سجی
In short: Whole flattened chicken rubbed with ginger, garlic, lemon and black pepper and roasted until crisp-skinned, a home-oven take on Balochistan's sajji. It takes about 1 h 30 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h 5 min
- Resting
- 4 h
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 620 kcal
Sajji comes from Balochistan, where a whole lamb or chicken is seasoned with little more than salt and roasted for hours beside an open fire until the meat is tender and the skin is crisp. It is served on a platter with rice and flatbread, and often eaten with the hands. This home version flattens the chicken and adds a simple marinade of ginger, garlic, lemon and black pepper, so an ordinary oven can deliver juicy meat and crisp skin.
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast-side down. With kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it.
- Make 3 or 4 deep slashes in each thigh and drumstick and 2 in each breast, so the marinade can soak in and the chicken cooks evenly.
- Mix the papaya paste, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, chili flakes and oil into a thick paste. Rub it all over the chicken and into the slashes. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and set the chicken skin-side up on a rack over a roasting pan.
- Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, basting once with the pan juices after 30 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C (165°F).
- Rest the chicken for 10 minutes, then carve it. Serve with rice or flatbread, onion rings, lemon wedges and mint.
Tips
- Flattening the chicken is the home cook's way to mimic open-fire roasting, since it cooks evenly and crisps the skin all over. For a smoky note, finish the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes under a hot broiler or over charcoal.
- Traditional sajji is seasoned with little more than salt, so feel free to cut back the spices and let the roast flavor lead. Leftover meat shreds well into pulao, sandwiches or wraps.
Questions and answers
What is sajji?
Sajji is a Balochi dish of a whole lamb or chicken seasoned with salt and roasted slowly beside an open fire, then served with rice or flatbread. It is most closely associated with Quetta and Balochistan.
Can I make sajji with lamb?
Yes, lamb is the traditional choice. Marinate a bone-in leg of about 2 kg (4.4 lb) the same way and roast it covered at 160°C (325°F) for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until very tender and well past the safe minimum of 63°C (145°F).
How do I get crisp skin on roast chicken?
Pat the chicken dry before marinating, roast it skin-side up on a rack so hot air reaches every side, and finish it briefly under the broiler. Avoid covering it with foil.
How long does it take to make Sajji (Balochi-Style Roast Chicken)?
About 1 h 30 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h 5 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Sajji (Balochi-Style Roast Chicken)?
About 620 kcal per serving, with 60 g of protein, 3 g of carbohydrates and 38 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 620 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 60 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 38 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 1400 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
