Sajji is Balochistan's best-known dish: a leg of lamb or a whole chicken, rubbed with salt and roasted slowly on a skewer beside an open fire until the outside crisps and the inside stays juicy. The classic place to eat it is Lehri Sajji House off Jinnah Road in Quetta, open since 1968. Most Pakistanis, though, eat it in the big cities, where it is usually chicken, more heavily spiced and served with rice: Burns Road in Karachi, the sajji houses of Lahore, and the barbecue strips of Islamabad.
This guide explains what sajji is and how it is cooked, how the Quetta original differs from the city versions, and where to go for it in each of the four cities.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| What it is | Lamb or chicken, salted and roasted whole on a skewer by an open fire |
| Origin | Balochistan; credited to the Lehri Baloch |
| Classic version | Lamb, salt only, with kaak or naan |
| City version | Usually chicken, spiced, with lemon, often stuffed with or served on rice |
| Best known at source | Lehri Sajji House, off Jinnah Road, Quetta (since 1968) |
| Karachi | Burns Road and the Balochi restaurants of the city |
| Lahore and Islamabad | Dedicated sajji houses and barbecue food streets |
| Order for | Two to four people per whole chicken; more for lamb |
What is sajji?
Sajji is meat roasted whole or in large pieces on a long skewer, set upright or at an angle beside a fire so it cooks in the heat rather than over the flames. The Balochi version uses lamb and almost nothing else: salt, the fire and time. The point is the flavour of the meat itself, so there is no marinade to hide behind and no gravy on the plate.
The dish is credited to the Lehri tribe of the Baloch, and Arab News, reporting from Quetta in 2021, traced the practice back to Dera Bugti and Kohlu, with the sajji shops of Quetta growing from the 1960s. In Balochistan it is still the meat of Eid ul Adha, when families roast their own sacrificial animal for days of shared meals.
In parts of the tradition the animal is stuffed with rice before roasting, so the rice cooks in the meat's juices. This is the version most city restaurants now sell as standard, especially with chicken.
How is sajji roasted?
The method is simple and slow:
- The meat is salted, often about an hour before it goes near the fire.
- It is pushed onto a long skewer, traditionally wood and now usually metal.
- The skewers are planted around a fire pit or coal stove, close enough to roast but not to burn.
- The cook turns them as each side browns, for hours rather than minutes. Arab News described home Eid sajji in Quetta taking about four hours over coal.
- When it is done, it is lifted off, cut into large pieces at the counter and served at once.
City kitchens follow the same idea with more seasoning. Karachi's sajji in particular is usually chicken, roasted, then cut and dusted with masala and lemon juice. That makes it sharper and more familiar to most Pakistani tastes, and less like the Quetta original.
Where to eat sajji in Quetta
Quetta is where the dish is taken most seriously, and Lehri Sajji House, off Main Jinnah Road, is the name that comes up first. Dawn's food writers describe it as the place to try sajji at its source: founded in 1968, run by the same family, and busy enough that a table can take a while. It also serves mutton karahi, and a second branch has opened in the city. Sajji there is plain and lightly salted, with wholewheat naan and raita or chutney.
Beyond Lehri, the sajji houses of Jinnah Road and the old bazaars are where locals eat. Our guide to sajji in Quetta covers the city's sajji houses, what to order there and when to go.
Where to eat sajji in Karachi
Karachi has a large, long-settled Baloch community, and sajji is easy to find. Burns Road in the old city is the obvious first stop: Arab News listed Agha's there for its "saltish sajji" alongside Waheed's nihari and Delhi's gola kabab. Since 2021 the street has been closed to traffic from 7 pm, which makes the evening the most pleasant time to go. Our Burns Road food street guide explains when to go and which places have family seating.
Burns Road has also been hit by anti-encroachment drives, most notably in 2018 when dozens of eateries were knocked down, so check a shop is trading at its old address before you make a special trip.
Outside the old city, Balochi and barbecue restaurants across Karachi serve sajji alongside karahi and tikka. Karachi's version is the most spiced in the country: expect chicken, masala, lemon and rice, and ask for plain if you want something closer to Quetta.
Where to eat sajji in Lahore
Lahore adopted sajji long ago, and its version is chicken roasted until well done and served with rice. Food guides have pointed for years to Balochi Sajji near Gaddafi Stadium and Khalifa Sajji in Garhi Shahu as two of the city's best; both are well known, but confirm they are open before you set out.
Sajji also turns up on the menus of the barbecue restaurants on the city's food streets, though a dedicated sajji house will do it better than a place that does everything.
Where to eat sajji in Islamabad and Rawalpindi
In the capital, sajji is a barbecue-strip dish. Melody Market in G-6 is the classic place families go for karahi, tikka and sajji in the evening; see our Melody food park guide for timings. Islamabad also has several Balochi and Shinwari restaurants that list sajji, usually chicken, sometimes lamb on order.
How should you order sajji?
A few things make the meal go better:
- Lamb or chicken. Lamb is the real thing and costs much more, because mutton does. Chicken is what most city places sell and is the easier introduction.
- How much. A whole chicken sajji with rice feeds two to four people. Lamb is sold by the leg or by weight; ask how many it serves.
- Ask ahead for lamb. Many city restaurants roast a set number of lamb pieces a day, or only to order. Calling earlier in the day avoids a long wait or a sold-out counter.
- Plain or spiced. Most places will hold the masala if you ask.
- Eat it hot, with your hands. Sajji is torn, not carved. Break the bread into the juices and keep a salad or raita on the side to cut the fat.
Prices change too often and vary too much by city and by cut to quote. Chicken sajji is one of the more affordable ways to feed a group at a sit-down meal; lamb is a special-occasion order.
Is sajji worth going out of your way for?
If you like barbecue and have never had it, yes. It is unlike anything else on the Pakistani table: plain, smoky and generous, a dish built for sharing.
The Quetta original is the purest version, but given the current travel advice, most people will eat it in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad, and a good city sajji house is well worth an evening. If you prefer bold spice, Karachi's style will suit you. If you want the meat to speak for itself, ask for lamb, ask for it plain, and order in advance.
Vegetarians will find little at a sajji house beyond rice and bread, and would do better at an ordinary Pakistani restaurant. Our experiences page shows how food fits into a trip with us.
Frequently asked questions
What is sajji made of?
Sajji is lamb or chicken, salted and roasted whole on a skewer beside an open fire. Traditional Balochi sajji uses lamb and salt only, while city versions are usually chicken with masala and lemon, often with rice.
Where did sajji come from?
Sajji comes from Balochistan and is credited to the Lehri Baloch. Quetta's sajji shops date from the 1960s, and Lehri Sajji House there has been open since 1968.
Is sajji spicy?
The original Quetta sajji is not spicy at all, just salted. Karachi and Lahore versions are spiced after roasting, but most restaurants will serve it plain if you ask.
What is sajji served with?
In Balochistan it is served with kaak, a hard bread baked on hot stones, or naan with raita. In the cities it usually comes with rice, either stuffed inside the chicken or served alongside.
How long does sajji take to cook?
Several hours for lamb: Arab News described home sajji in Quetta taking about four hours over coal. Restaurants roast in advance, so a chicken sajji usually arrives quickly, but lamb may need ordering ahead.
What is the difference between sajji and rosh?
Both are Balochi lamb dishes with little spice, but sajji is roasted on a skewer by a fire while rosh is cooked slowly in a pot in the meat's own fat. Our Balochi food guide covers both.
