When my husband and I were about to get married his cousins told me a story about his love for Yakhni Pulao since he was a child.
Not only did I arrange for Yakhni Pulao to be ever on our wedding, since then I have become somewhat a Yakhni Pulao Experimenter.
I’ll try every single recipe that I come across.
Having said that with every Yakhni Pulao, the Shan Punjabi Yakhni Pulao kept looking like a better option. Simpler, quick and better tasting.
I’m not much of a lover of the first two but definitely a sucker for the third.
I need better tasting . Don’t care how long it takes or how complicated it may be.
Sadaf Shafi had very graciously shared a family recipe of her mother in law’s. Finger licking Goodness Mutton Pulao a none other than my lovely ladies’ group. @Karachi chefs at home
I made it once a couple of weeks ago and we all fell in love with it.
Like polished it off. Completely. Hankering first note kinda love.
You get my drift?
So I’m sharing the halves quantity fit for a small family but you can double it if you need to feed a crowd.
Make potli of muslin cloth with
2 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 tbsp saunf, 1 tbsp whole garam masala, 1 star anise, 1 nutmeg, 1 piece of mace.)
2 whole big garlic pods (UNPEELED), 2 tbsp ginger paste , 2 whole medium size onions (UNPEELED) washed.
Salt 2 tsp
Coarsely grind 2 tbsp white cumin and 1 tsp whole peppercorns.
2 large green chillies
Soak 1/2 kg good quality basmati rice for 20 minutes.
Mutton with bones 1/2 kg.
Boil all the above ingredients along with 1 litre water and mutton in a deep pot at slow to medium flame till the meat gets tender.
Add more water if it dries out.
I cooked it for a good two hours at least. Until the meat started falling off the bones.
Once yakhni is done then strain it. Remove the potli. Take out garlic pods and onion and keep them separately.
Squeeze the pods of garlic and onions in a bowl. Discard the peels. This is messy yo. For someone who has a perpetual aversion to anything sticking to their hands this was a toughie. But trust me. This is where all that flavour is.
Take a big pot. Heat half cup ghee and add 1/2 tsp black cumin 1/2 tsp whole garam masala and 1 small bay leaf. Then add the meat. Give it a good stir add the garlic and onion mixture and bhonofy till aroma is released. Add in half cup beaten yogurt. Leave for a couple of minutes. Bhoono it till the yogurt gets cooked and oil surfaces. Add in soaked and drained rice. Swish it around a little bit for a couple of minutes. Then add the Yakhni. Just one angusht (finger digit) above the rice. Adjust salt and water if yakhni is less. I didn’t need to. The salt was perfect.
Cook it like pulao. Put on dum for good 20 minutes. Serve hot with special garlic Raita
Garlic Raita
Blend a cup of yogurt with half tsp garlic paste 1 tsp salt half tsp red chilli powder and half cup water.
Points to be noted
● yes you have to add 2 big whole garlic pods. This is the secret ingredient
● you can adjust green chillies and peppercorns according to your spice level. We eat way too little spice so for us this is fine.
● Yes you have to use ghee instead of oil. This makes it rich. You can use oil but the taste will be different.
Additional tip. With all of that fantastic potent Yakhni this is great for lactating / breastfeeding mamas as well as growing toddlers.
Omnomnom!
