Degchi
Yakhni
Also written: yakhni stock, yakhni pulao
- Urduیخنی
- Hindiयखनी
- Banglaইয়াখনি
Yakhni is stock. Meat is simmered slowly with whole spices until tender, and the strained liquid becomes the cooking medium for rice or a gravy. The word is also used for the dish built on it, most often yakhni pulao.
Our Mutton Yakhni Pulao shows the method. Mutton goes in a heavy pot with half an onion, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, salt and one litre of water. Bring it to a boil, skim the foam, then simmer on low for about an hour. A pressure cooker cuts the stock to about 25 minutes. Strain it, keep the meat, bin the whole spices and measure out 600 ml for the rice.
The rice cooks in that stock, so every grain tastes of the meat. After the stock goes in, the rice boils uncovered for about six minutes, then sits covered on the lowest heat for 12 minutes and rests 10 more off the heat.
That is why pulao tastes milder than biryani: no heavy masala, no layering. If the stock is short, top up with hot water rather than cold, so the pot stays at the boil.
Recipes that use it
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Pulao vs Biryani: What Is the Difference?