Yakhni (Mutton Prepared in Curd)

[ami]

Yakhni is corruption of Akhni, which means broth or Shorba. ... In short, Yakhni is a thin yogurt based mutton stock. ... Rice was cooked in Yakhni, with pieces of precooked lamb (from making Yakhni), and it was called Yakhni Pulao.


Ingredients
1.       1 kg mutton (chest pieces)
2.       3 ladles of mustard oil.
3.       2 table spoons saunf powder (fennel powder).
4.       1 table spoon zeera (cumin).
5.       2 tej patte (bay leaves).
6.       ½ tea spoon hing (asafetida).
7.       5 half crushed laung (cloves).
8.       3 moti elaichi (black cardamom).
9.       1 inch dalcheeni  (cinnamon).
10.   1 kg whipped curd.
11.   1 spoon desi ghee (pure ghee).

1.       Wash the mutton and drain off excess water.
2.       Heat two ladles of oil in a pressure cooker, put the mutton in it, add salt and hing, start frying for five minutes on full flame.
3.       Put ½ glass water, add saunf powder, crushed moti elaichi, dalchini, bay leaves  and pressure cook it up to 3 whistles.
4.       Take a frying pan, put one ladle oil and heat it till smoke appears, cool it for three minutes and put zeera and laung in it.
5.       Keep it on a low flame and stir for one minute, add the curd and keep it on full flame, stir continuously so that it will not curdle till it boils.
6.       Add this boiling curd and pure ghee in the mutton and keep it on low flame for five minutes.
7.       Serve it with hot white boiled rice.


we both avoid the rice................but the guest are served basmati rice.

[starsign]

Thanks Ami. I've heard a lot about yakhni but never tried making it. This is a Kashmir speciality, if I'm not mistaken ?

[ami]

yes , this is from the kashmir part of india.

worth visiting !

[Kelly]

This looks really interesting!  I've never heard of mustard oil before.  Do you make it yourself?  Also what is asafetida?  LOL, I'd have to buy a lot of spices to make this, but it may well be worth it!

[skb]

You should get both these items at an Indian store. It is one of the delicacies of the subcontinent, worth a try.

[Sweety]

I've never tried this though I've haerd a lot about it. Will surely cook one of these days. 

[Kelly]

You should get both these items at an Indian store. It is one of the delicacies of the subcontinent, worth a try.

Thanks, I don't think there are any Indian Markets around here, but maybe Amazon might have them.

[ami]

yes kelly ,amazon will surly send , please  keep us posted when u do try this yakhni................i have heard it also taste yumm when make in beef pieces.........

[Kelly]

Boy am I getting an education on Indian spices! I have most of the other spices.  Oh and is curd the same as cheese curds? I don't usually cook this fancy.

I am having trouble finding any of the asafetida/hing without wheat included as anti caking agent.  Most of the mustard oil says for external use only, even the stuff in the for cooking category.  I'm confused.  Can you give me some brand names that you use? Maybe they are on Amazon.

Thanks!

[ami]

Good morning kelly,
curds is plain yogurt. And i am attaching the pic of the mustard oil which I found on amazon usa. tez is the one i use .

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[skb]

This is the link for "hing" on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/185-7120363-3611222?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Hing

[Kelly]

Thank you guys so much!!  One more question, what size/amount is a ladle re the mustard oil.  Converting things to US measures can be tricky.  I don't own a pressure cooker so I am hoping a crock pot all day or night will work.

I'll order the Tez.  And I shouldn't worry about the wheat in the 'hing"?  I thought that was something I really should avoid.

oh one more question, will this freeze OK?  I need to build some quick meals for the freezer.

[ami]

hello again , i measured my ladle its 20 ml, since it has a very sharp taste put only 2 ladle ,,,,,,,,,,,as indian taste buds r use to Sharpe taste............and  yes yes you can freeze it ............not a problem.wow when can i come to taste it. 

[Kelly]

I haven't sent in my Amazon order yet, still trying to decide on which hing to get.  I found some black cardamom on a spice site.  I am getting excited to try this recipe!  Once I have everything I'll let you know how it turns out.  I'll probably make 1/2 a recipe to try it out.

I love spicy, so I am probably going to OK with the mustard oil.

[bigskygal]

Reading this thread, I am getting excited about trying this recipe.  I was in India for a month in 2000 and totally loved the food!!  Thanks ami and skb for the links to the ingredients!  I think I am  going to have to gather the ingredients and make this!!