on Aug 30, 2021 I love Kashmiri food – its simplicity and their ability to pack it with flavour. This Mutton Yakhni Pulao isn’t authentic Kashmiri but just inspired by some of the flavours.
Yakhni – What does it mean
Yakhni simply refers to soup or broth or in the case of this mutton yakhni pulao – stock made from pressure cooking mutton or lamb with aromatics and whole spices. Pressure cooking releases all the flavours FAST, cooks the mutton about 70% of the way and creates the most flavourful stock. This stock becomes the base of this yakhni pulao.
How to make Mutton Yakhni Pulao
Start with getting all the ingredients. This recipe does require you to source a few ingredients (mainly whole spices) that you may not normally have in your kitchen but trust me, every spice plays a role. The process to make the yakhni is fairly simple This creates the base of our recipe. That all powerful stock or yakhni which will flavour our pulao. Let’s make the yakhni pulao next. The whole magic comes from the spices. In terms of cooking, the process is quite hands off in parts.
Rice for Yakhni Pulao
I like using basmati which is also whats used prominently in Kashmiri cooking. Use aged basmati rice that’s labelled ‘basmati’ rather than ‘long grain rice’ which is not true basmati. True basmati has a beautiful aroma, and ageing makes the rice more tasty and gives you grains that remain separate while cooking.
Best cut of Mutton/Lamb
Look for bone-in shoulder cut which has some fat and remains tender as the pulao cooks. The cooking time may seem short to some but if the mutton you use is of good quality, this cooking time is perfect. This pulao surprises everyone with its flavours which are simple but robust. The mutton is so tender, you only need one hand. Because we use yakhni, the rice has flavour in every bite. And in spite of pressure cooking, each grain is separate and not sticky. Don’t skimp on the ghee. This is a celebration! Serve this with raita. This doesn’t need much more!
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