Authentic Mutton Yakhni Pulao (Mutton Pulao)

Mutton yakhni pulao is a classic meat and rice comfort dish from north india. It is immenselfy flavorful, delicately spiced and pretty easy to make. 

This yakhni pulao, also called mutton pulao features fragrant basmati rice and,tender mutton pieces cooked in yakhni (spiced mutton stock). Yakhni pulao is made several different ways in indian and Pakistani cuisine.

In this post, I am sharing indian style, awadhi yakhni pulao recipe which belongs to Lucknawi (oudh) cuisine from north indian part of india. For this reason, it is sometimes, also known as awadhi pulao. 

Indian rice dishes are pure comfort food. Be it egg pulao or vegetarian pulao recipes like mushroom pulao or soya pulao, they make for excellent one pot meal anytime.

This mutton pulao recipe holds a special place in my family. During the winter season, mom used to make mutton yakhni on a regular basis. I remember she would ladle it into small glass teacups with a scatter of fresh chopped cilantro and hand over to us to drink on a cold winter evenings.

This pulao recipe is a perfect choice when it comes to feeding large families or entertaining guests. The most delightful thing about it is that it tastes way better the next day, thus allowing you to prepare it a day in advance for your upcoming party.

About Yakhni

Quite simply,Yakhni = Stock or Broth. Yakhni is believed to have roots in the middle east and it slowly made its way along the silk route to Asia. In Indian cuisine, yakhni refers to dishes with lot of liquid- either a light curry or soup. It is either made by slow boiling meat or bone in chicken together with spices, herbs and alliums like onions & garlic.In Kashmiri yakhni, yogurt and saffron is added giving it a unique tangy flavor.

South asian meat stocks have amazing depth of flavor due to use of spices. The key is slow boiling the fresh meat. I don't pressure cook the meat, I let it simmer for couple of hours or more depending on the quantity.

Slowly, the meat renders its fat and flavor (juices) into the water. This delicious liquid (yakhni) is warming and perfect for sipping on its own. On the same lines, here's a very simple recipe of chicken shorba soup made with bone in chicken that I serve as soup.

Delicately spiced and fragrant, yakhni has robust flavors. In my family recipe, no powdered spices are used when making yakhni. All the flavor comes from whole spices, dried chilies, ginger and garlic. You can also use this recipe for making just the yakhni if you wish. 

About Yakhni Pulao

Pulao = Rice Dish. Instead of water, we are going to use use yakhni for cooking the rice and meat togther.

The aromatic spices used for making yakhni set the base of flavor of the pulao. In my mutton yakhni recipe, the prounced notes are that of woody black cardamom, cumin and cloves.

All over india, different regions have their own recipes with slight variations. For example, they use short grain gobindbhog rice in bengali cuisine instead of basmati rice. The kashmiri version of yakhni pulao has a licorice flavor from use of fennel seeds.

What is Difference between Biryani, Yakhni Pulao & Regular Pulao

Mutton biryani is a layered rice dish. In pakki biryani the meat is cooked separately and the rice is par boiled. Then they are layered in a large vessel (deg or handi) along with fried onions (birista), fresh gren herbs, lemon slices,etc. Everything cooks together in a sealed pot via a technique called dumpukht (or cooking in own juices).

In pulao, unlike biryani, rice and meat cook together without layering. The spices are milder and usually there are no fried onions. Soaked basmati rice simply cooks togther with meat or chicken till the rice has absorbed the liquid and the grains become fluffy.

Yakhni pulao differs from a regular pulao in that instead of adding water to cook the rice, we cook the rice in yakhni.

Ingredients (Notes)

• Bone-in Mutton or Goat Meat - For a delicious yakhni, bone in meat is a must. Most of the flavor of yakhni comes from bones because we don't go heavy handed on spices. If you are using chicken - use bone in dark meat pieces or skin less whole chicken cut up. For bone in lamb, make sure that the meat is from shoulder or leg portions. 
• Whole Spices - cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves, black cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg. 
• Fresh Ginger & Garlic
• Onions - I prefer using red onions, however yellow onions will work fine too.
• Long Grain Basmati Rice. I use extra long grain aged basmati rice (easily available in Costco). If you are purchasing from indian stores, you may choose brands like Laxmi Foods, Tilda, Dawaat or India Gate Basmati rice. Frankly any good quality basmati rice will work in this recipe.
• Oil - Or you can use Ghee. However, keep in mind that yakhni is quite rich in itself due to the fat rendering from meat, ghee will make the pulao quite heavy. 

How To Make Yakhni Pulao(Step Photos)

The process of making Yakhni Pulao involves two main steps. 

Step 1:- Make The Yakhni

1. Start by gathering the whole spices. Roughly chop the onions. Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop the ginger. If you wish, you can tie everything in a cheesecloth or clean muslin bag (bouquet garni). This is not necessary, my mom never did and neither do I. We south asians are used to eating around the spices but some people are really annoyed by them so you can try.

2. Once we strain the yakhni, it takes barely 1 minute to separate the meat pieces from it. Add the meat, spices, onion, garlic and ginger to a large pot (I use my 5 qt dutch oven). Cover with water. Add salt. Set the pot on stove and bring it to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low (not very low), cover and let the the meat simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours. This cooking time will depend on how big or small your meat pieces are. Make sure that the meat is tender at the end of simmering but not falling apart.

Note :- You can do this in an instant pot or pressure cooker but slow cooked yakhni is something else. For reference, both for pressure cooker and IP high pressure cook for 12-15 minutes. 

3. While yakhni is cooking, wash rice a few times under running water until water runs clear. Soak rice in excess water for 30 minutes. You can manage time and soak rice while the yakhni is nearing completion.

4. Place a soup strainer over a large bowl. After 10 minutes or so, open the pot/cooker and strain the yakhni. Don't mash the ginger, onion or garlic or spices, it will make the yakhni cloudy. Using tongs or spoon, pick up the meat pieces on to a plate and immediately cover the meat with cling film or a plate, this makes sure that the meat doesn't dry out. 
5. Measure the yakhni. Make sure that it is enough to cook the rice. The variety of rice I use needs double amount of liquid to cook. If yakhni is less, top it with water. 

Step:-2 Cook The Rice in Yakhni

6. You can use the same pot or dutch oven to make the pulao. Return it to stove and add the oil. 
7. Once the oil is hot, add the onions. Fry onions for 8-10 minutes till they are golden brown. The color of your rice/pulao will depend on the color of the onions. Dont rush this process.  
8. Then, add the meat pieces to the caramelized onions, red chilli powder and stir along with onions for 2-3 minutes. You will see that the meat will start browning from edges. 

9. Then, add the soaked rice and the yakhni. Add a tablespoon ghee (if you wish). Mix and then taste the salt.It should taste sharp salty right now, this will make sure that the pulao will come out well seasoned. You could also add a few green chilies at this stage.
10. Cover the pot and let boil on high heat. Once bubbling, reduce to low medium heat  and let cook for 20-25 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft. Switch off the stove and let the pot sit undisturbed for at least 10-12 minutes. 
11. Fluff the rice gently, I like to use a small plate and start fluffing from the side of the pot. Garnish with cilantro, fried onions, ginger julienne etc and serve. 

Tips for Fluffy Rice

1. Don't use un soaked rice. Soak it for at least 15 -20 minutes.
2. Don't skimp on oil when cooking pulao else the rice will be sticky.
3. Once the rice has finished cooking, wait for 8- 10 minutes before fluffing. Fluff using a fat wide rice spatula or a small plate from side. 
4. Don't spoon yakhni pulao from the center of the pot, the warm and soft rice will break.

More Recipe Tips

• Give it Time - A delicious yakhni needs time for flavors to develop. Don't rush the process. 
• Bone In Meat- Use bone in meat or chicken for making yakhni. I use lamb shoulder, goat leg or chicken dark meat portions- bone in things or drumsticks. Remove the skin from chicken before using. 
• Avoid Fatty Meat- Use trimmed meat for making yakhni. We want to make a yakhni that is rich, however we dont want fat floating on top. See the photo above of yakhni for reference. 
• Don't cook in advance- Dont make the yakhni a day before, the taste is not the same. However, you can make it a few hours (4-6 hours) ahead. If you are making ahead, always strain it and store the yakhni and meat pieces separately. 
• Basmati Rice- Use good quality basmati rice. These days brown basmati rice is also available in stores but any kind of brown rice is not suitable for making this recipe so please avoid. 
• Use Whole Spices - Make sure you use at least 5 kinds of whole spices and skip any you do not have in your cabinet, the yakhni will taste good, I promise. 
• Caramelize Onions - Brown the onions slowly. The color and caramelization of onions contributes a lot to the taste of pulao. 
• If you are making the yakhni for serving as soup, reduce the quantity of chilies.
• Taste the yakhni before adding it to rice. It should taste sharp and salty, this will make sure that the pulao will have good seasoning. 

Serving Suggestions

Serve with boondi raita and kachumber salad for a fresh bite. You could also add a small bowl of green chutney on the side. I also serve shami kebabs with mutton pulao for a feast on special occasions.