Sakett Saawhney dishes out secrets about his famous 'Galouti Masala'

Seated in a glass cubicle, full-time film producer and newly-turned chef Sakettt Saawhney beams with pride as he talks about his recently unveiled delivery kitchen service - the Big Bang Cuurry. Operating between Goregaon and Juhu, Saawhney says the key masalas and sauces are prepared by his four chefs in Mumbai. His dedicatedly pounded galouti masala, however, is off the charts, going by its popularity among his customers.

The Zanjeer (2013) producer says, "The galouti masala is a concoction of 14 ingredients, including ashwagandha, rose petals, shahi jeera, kebabchini, coriander seed, clove, cinnamon, rampatri, rajgeera, stone flower, black pepper and nutmeg, among others." Saawhney refuses to divulge the three secret ingredients, which add a delectable flavour to his final product, making it stand apart from other galouti masalas in town. He adds, "Even my chefs don't know the three secret ingredients that I add in the end. I pound this masala once a month from my kitchen at home; it takes about 15 minutes to complete the process."

Sakett Saawhney. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

This pungent galouti masala is eventually used to make mushroom and mutton kebabs. Legend has it that this melt-in-the-mouth delicacy was first made for an ageing Mughal king, who loved meat but could not chew. Saawhney shares, "Usually in Delhi and Lucknow, galouti kebabs are made out of minced meat that is made more tender by using raw papaya and spices. It is then put to rest and then the meat is cooked immediately on stove. My method, however, is very different. Our mushroom kebabs with potato and paneer binding are unique. Similarly, mutton kebabs are cooked in a unique manner. We put our magic masalas into cooked meat and mushroom and later refrigerate them overnight. The next day, they are put on stove for a maximum of 30 seconds after letting all the masalas soak in. In the end, these kebabs are so soft that one can eat them with lips."

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