Said to be the signature cuisine of Nagpur, Saoji food is very spicy and mostly non-vegetarian. The unique taste of Saoji dishes comes from special spices used in the food. The curries are made with trotters (paya), chicken and offal, and cooked with a host of spices. These dishes are usually prepared by people of the Halba Koshti community.

The spices used in these dishes have about 32 ingredients and are of three types. Bhukri masala has 12 ingredients, while kala masala has 20, and batlo is a fresh paste of garlic, ginger, cumin and onion. Some of the popular dishes you can try are prawns, fish and egg curries, chicken and goat meat that are served with Indian flatbread and rice.