Yakhni Pulao

Yakhni pulao is a classic meat and rice dish with deep but subtle flavors. Long-grain Basmati rice teams up with the choicest cuts of bone-in meat and whole spices to make this aromatic pulao! Both instant pot and stovetop methods included.

Love fine Indian food? Then you've got to try this beautiful yakhni pulao. It's not as flamboyant and colorful as this keema biryani, but it has such deep and rich flavors (minus the heat), you'll be truly amazed.

So, what exactly is yakhni? Yakhni is a kind of stock. Bone-in mutton or lamb is cooked in lots of water, whole spices and aromatics like onion, ginger, and garlic to get a rich stock. The rice and meat are then simmered in this stock along with a few other ingredients to make yakhni pulao.

Ingredients

Note: exact quantities are given in the recipe card further down.

• Bone-in meat (mutton or lamb) - choose a good cut of meat from the shoulder or leg.
• Long-grain Basmati rice (affiliate link) - Basmati rice gives the best results, so don't go for any other variety.
• Yogurt
• Cooking oil
• Whole spices - bay leaves, cloves, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and black peppercorns
• Ginger and garlic paste

Here is a picture of all the spices and ingredients (besides meat) you will need for making the yakhni or stock.

How to make yakhni pulao

MAKE THE STOCK

Take a square piece of cheesecloth or muslin and place the ingredients for the stock on it (pictured above). Bring the ends together and tie it securely. You can use a cloth bag also if you have one. You're putting the spices and aromatics in a bag or pouch so you don't have to fish them out of the stock later.

In your regular pressure cooker or instant pot (if you have one), place the bag of spices, the meat, salt, and enough water to cover these ingredients. Pressure cook (stove-top pressure cooker: 10 minutes; instant pot: 13 minutes) the contents and let the pressure release naturally. Open the cooker and remove the meat onto a platter. Take out the bag, hold it above the cooker, and squeeze it lightly a few times to extract the juices from it. Your stock is ready. Keep it aside as it will be used later.

Note: Make sure the bag is cool enough to handle before squeezing it. You can keep it on the counter for a few minutes before trying this as it will most certainly be too hot to hold at first.

Note: After you have squeezed the bag, open or untie it and discard the spices. You don't need to throw away the bag itself as it can be washed easily.

MAKE THE PULAO

Stovetop Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven and add some whole spices (cloves, green cardamom, black pepper, cumin, bay leaf and a couple of cinnamon sticks).
2. When the spices start sizzling, add thinly sliced onions and fry them until they are reddish-brown.
3. Tip in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for five minutes or until the oil leaves the sides of the pot.
4. Stir in the yogurt followed by the salt and the meat you put aside earlier. Let the meat cook in the masala for five minutes.
5. Add the rice and four and a half cups stock and let it come to a boil. Lower the heat once the liquid is boiling and let it cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
6. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid in the last five minutes and turn off the heat. Let the pulao rest for ten to fifteen minutes before removing the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork, garnish with some fried onions (optional) and serve hot.

Instant Pot Method

1. If you want to use your instant pot for making the pulao, pour the stock from the steel insert into a bowl and keep it aside.
2. Rinse the steel insert and put it back into the instant pot, then proceed with the rest of the steps (as above) on sauté.
3. After the meat has been simmering in the pot for five minutes or so (step 4 above), add the rice and four cups stock. Cancel sauté, secure the lid and pressure cook for four minutes. After the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Open the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with some fried onions (optional) and serve hot.

Some useful tips and suggestions

1. The rice to liquid ratio is as follows if you're cooking the rice in an open pot : 1 cup of unsoaked rice needs 1.5 cups liquid. If cooking rice in the instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker, use this ratio: 1 cup of unsoaked rice needs 1.25 cups liquid. Add the stock according to this ratio and you won't go wrong.
2. Leftover stock can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days and used for making rice or soup. You can also freeze it in ziploc bags or a freezer safe jar if you don't have an imminent use for it.
3. Do choose good quality bone-in meat for this recipe, preferably meat from the shoulder or leg of a lamb or goat.
4. If you don't have all the spices, never fear. Use the ones you do have. You don't have to get it down to every last spice I've mentioned in the recipe. That said, don't skip the whole spices while making the stock. These are essential to the recipe.
5. It is important to fry the onions to a dark reddish-brown color. This imparts a rich color to the pulao as well. If the onions are under-done, the pulao will look pale too. Do be careful not to burn the onions though.
6. If you want a touch of heat, add a teaspoonful of red chilli flakes to the masala.
7. Serve the pulao with raita (yogurt flavored with roasted and ground cumin) or a chutney of your choice.
8. You can buy bottled ginger and garlic pastes separately from any big chain supermarket or Indian/Pakistani grocery. Or make your own! Just put equal quantities of peeled and chopped ginger and garlic in a blender, a few tablespoons water and blend to a smooth paste. Use as required and store the extra in a clean glass jar with a lid in your refrigerator. Though it may change color, it keeps for several days in the fridge without spoiling.

More rice dishes you might like

1. Chicken biryani - A chicken biryani recipe made with tender chicken on bone, saffron, cashews and long grain basmati rice. 

2. Mushroom pulao - A tasty one-pot brunch or dinner that comes together in 25 minutes.

3. Lemon rice - Sunshine-yellow rice with anti-inflammatory turmeric and the crunch of roasted peanuts and lentils.

4. Palak pulao - An easy, light and fresh pulao bursting with the goodness of spinach and cottage cheese. 

5. Chicken pulao - A delicious one-pot chicken pulao recipe that’s super easy to make with just a few ingredients. Make for the perfect weeknight meal.

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