Yakhni pulao. Tender meat, fluffy rice, aromatic spices - all cooked in yogurt for the ultimate meal. Yakhni or the cooking sauce of mutton delivers maximum flavor to this pulao, while the whole spices add the authentic touch. Guaranteed to impress and satisfy everyone!
Sometimes the challenge of cooking a one pot meal with rice is getting the right tender texture without making the rice mushy or even undercooked. The traditional pulao is basically a one pot meal, and the meat and rice are cooked together for the best tasting dish that’s designed to become your next favorite.
This mutton based pulao is loosely inspired by the restaurant style mutton-rice combos. The catch is that mutton requires longer cooking time compared to basmati rice. The quick solution? Cook mutton separately in a bunch of dried whole spices, and the cooking liquid, also called yakhni, is then used to cook the rice at a later stage in the cooking process. That way, both mutton and rice get the ultimate flavor from the aromatic spices. When it comes to the actual cooking process, you might think that there’s a lot going on, but this pulao is so easy to make. Even the garnish is so simple with just some crispy fried onions. So, whip up this classic exotic dish for your next gathering, and make it a great conversation starter.
Key Ingredients In Yakhni Pulao
- Mutton - Lamb is a great substitute.
- Rice - Basmati rice is the perfect choice.
- Yogurt - It tenderizes the meat and adds tons of flavor.
- Spices - Dried spices are key in this recipe.
How To Make Perfect Yakhni Pulao At Home
Cook mutton - Start with cooking mutton in a bunch of spices including cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin, coriander, fennel and black peppercorns. You can also add onions, ginger and garlic. Pour in water and cook mutton until the meat is tender.
Make pulao - The second step involves cooking mutton and rice together in one pot. Fry onions and green chilies followed by sautéing mutton with red chili powder. Now, you can stir in yogurt, yakhni and rice. Yakhni is actually the cooking liquid of mutton. At this stage, simmer, and let the rice cook until tender and fluffy. Garnish with plenty of fried onions, and you have made a timeless classic effortlessly at home.
Authentic Yakhni Pulao Recipe
Ingredients
Soak rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice rinsed
Cook mutton:
- 700 g mutton cut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 large onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1- inch ginger chopped
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3-4 green cardamom pods
- 1 black cardamom pod optional
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 cups water
Make pulao:
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 large onions sliced
- 2 green chilies sliced
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ cup yogurt
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
- Fried onions to garnish
Instructions
Soak rice:
- Place basmati rice in a bowl. Cover with water.
- Soak for about 20 minutes. Drain.
Cook mutton:
- Place mutton, onions, garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, green cardamom pods, black cardamom pod, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns in a large pot.
- Add water.
- Season with salt. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes or until cooked through.
- Once cooked, remove mutton from cooking sauce (yakhni). Set aside.
Make pulao:
- Heat ghee in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add bay leaves and 1 cinnamon stick.
- Add onions and green chilies. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes or until browned.
- Add mutton and red chili powder. Stir to combine.
- Saute, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add yogurt. Stir to combine.
- Add rice, 1 and ½ cups yakhni and lemon juice. Stir gently. Season with salt.
- Increase heat to high. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Cover with lid.
- Simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
- Garnish with fried onions.
Video
Notes
- Key ingredients - This includes yogurt, and plenty of ginger and garlic.
- Variation - Sub mutton with chicken but the cooking times may vary.
- Fried onions - To make fried onions, simply deep fry sliced onions in oil, and drain on an absorbent towel.
Nutrition
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Check out more pulao recipes:
- Chicken Pulao
- Prawn Pulao | Shrimp Pulao
- Five Color Pulao | Panchranga Pulao
- Egg Pulao
- Easy Mushroom Pulao
Elina says
Pooja says
I’m a great fan of Pulao recipes and this looks stunning 🥰.