Yakhni is the gentle counterpart to rogan josh in Kashmiri cooking. The name comes from a Persian word for stock or broth, and the dish is a yogurt-based curry so pale and mild that visitors are often surprised it belongs to the same cuisine. It is a fixture of the wazwan and of everyday Kashmiri homes, both Muslim and Pandit.
There is no chilli and no turmeric. Instead the flavour comes from mutton stock, fennel, dry ginger, green and black cardamom and a final scattering of dried mint. Yogurt is cooked slowly until it becomes silky and stable. The taste is soothing and fragrant, with a gentle tang and plenty of meaty depth.
Yakhni is served with plain steamed rice, often on the same table as rogan josh so diners can balance mild with spicy. Vegetarian versions use lotus stem (nadru yakhni) or bottle gourd. Because it is mild, yakhni is also a favourite with children and older family members, and it is a comforting dish in the cold Kashmiri winter. Dried mint and fennel are the flavours that make it unmistakably Kashmiri, so do not leave them out.
At a glance
| Region | Jammu and Kashmir |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Kashmiri |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 80 minutes |
| Total time | 95 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | mutton / yogurt / fennel / cardamom / dried mint |
Ingredients
For the mutton
- 750 g bone-in mutton pieces
- 4 cups water
- 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
For the yogurt gravy
- 2 cups thick curd
- 1 tsp cornflour or 1 tbsp besan (to stabilise)
- 3 tbsp ghee or mustard oil
- 1/4 tsp hing
- 1 tsp shahi jeera (caraway)
- 2 tsp saunf powder
- 1 1/2 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder
- 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
- 1 tsp dried mint, crushed
- Salt to taste
Method
- Put mutton, water, whole spices and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, skim the scum, then cover and simmer on low for 50 to 60 minutes until tender (or pressure cook 4 whistles). Strain and reserve the stock.
- Whisk the curd with the cornflour until completely smooth.
- Heat ghee in a heavy pot on medium. Add hing and shahi jeera and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
- Lower the heat, add the curd and stir continuously in one direction for 6 to 8 minutes until it comes to a boil and thickens slightly. This prevents curdling.
- Add fennel powder and dry ginger, then gradually pour in about 1 1/2 cups of the reserved stock, stirring all the time.
- Add the cooked mutton pieces and simmer uncovered on low for 15 to 20 minutes, until the gravy is creamy and coats the meat.
- Stir in cardamom powder and dried mint, check salt and rest 5 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Keep stirring until the yogurt boils; once it has boiled it will not split.
- Full-fat curd gives the best texture; low-fat curd tends to separate.
- Leftover stock makes an excellent base for pulao.
Serve with
Plain steamed rice, with rogan josh or haak on the side.