Mutton yakhni
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A pale, mild mutton curry cooked in yoghurt with fennel, dry ginger and cardamom, without any chilli or turmeric.
Region: Kashmir valleyOccasion: Everyday and festive meals; part of the WazwanTime: 1 hr 15 minServes: 4Non-vegetarian
Ingredients
- 750 g mutton on the bone
- 3 tbsp mustard oil or ghee
- 4 green cardamoms, 2 black cardamoms and 4 cloves
- 1 small stick cinnamon and 2 bay leaves
- A pinch of hing
- 2 cups thick curd
- 2 tsp fennel powder
- 1 tsp dry ginger powder
- 1 tsp dried mint, crushed
- Salt to taste
Method
- Boil the mutton with 4 cups of water, salt, the bay leaves, black cardamom and half the fennel until almost tender. Keep the stock.
- Whisk the curd until smooth. Heat it gently with a cup of the stock, stirring in one direction all the time, until it comes to a boil without splitting.
- In another pan heat the oil or ghee with hing, cloves, cinnamon and green cardamom.
- Add the cooked mutton and the curd mixture, then the rest of the fennel and the dry ginger.
- Simmer for 15–20 minutes until the gravy is creamy and coats the meat.
- Sprinkle crushed dried mint and serve with rice.
History
Yakhni is a Persian word for broth. In Kashmir it became a yoghurt-based curry flavoured with fennel and dry ginger, two spices central to Kashmiri cooking.
Significance
Yakhni is a comforting dish served in most Kashmiri homes, and its white gravy is the gentle counterpart to the red rogan josh at a feast.