Mutton Yakhni Pulao

Recipe Ingredients: 

• Yakhni (broth or stock)
• Gravy
• Spring lamb (with bones) – 750 gms
• Water – 1500 ml or 10 cups
• Onion – 2
• Ginger – 1 big piece
• Garlic – 1 whole
• Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Black cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Saunf (aniseed) – 1 tsp
• Black pepper seeds – 1 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaves – 2
• Green cardamom – 5
• Cloves – 5
• Cinnamon stick (2 inch pieces) – 3
• Staranise – 2
• Jaiphal (nutmeg, 1 inch piece) – 1
• Javitri (mace) – 2 flowers
• Dry rose petals – 2 tbsp
• kisan canola cooking Oil – 1/3 cup
• Onion (sliced) – 2
• Ginger and garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Bay leaves – 2
• Carrots (sliced) – 2
• Curd – 1 cup
• Green chillies (slit) – 4
• Cooked lamb
• Yakhni (stock) – 4 cup
• Basmati rice – 2 cups to 2 1/2 cups
• Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
• Kewra water – 3 tbsp
• Saffron colour – a pinch
• Saffron (kesar) – a big pinch
• kisan canola cooking oil – 2 tbsp
• Kishmish (raisins) – 3 tbsp
• Cashew nuts – 20
• Salt - as per taste

Recipe Method: 

• Make an x section cut on the onion or roughly cut into chunks, keep it aside.
• Can use the whole garlic clove in the stock or cut into half with skin, no need to peel.
• Chop or cut ginger into pieces.
• Preheat the vessel with enough water; add lamb pieces and all the ingredients except dry rose petals.
• First boil for10min, close the lid cook on simmer flame.
• After 30min add rose petals and cook till the meat is cooked.
• The total time will be 45 mins to 1 hour.
• The yakhni (stock) is now fragrant, flavoured with many aromatic spices and has left meat fat on top which is oily.
• Strain the stock in a wider vessel and keep the meat pieces separately.
• Some spices will be attached to the meat pieces, can be left like that or can remove it as per your taste.
• Fry the onion and cashew nuts separately in deep oil or ghee and keep it aside for garnishing.
• Preheat the vessel with ghee or oil, add bay leaf, onions and fry till it is golden brown.
• Add ginger and garlic paste sauté for 1min, add carrot and coriander leaves, green chillies and stir for 2 to 3min.
• If the curd is thick adding water 1/2 cup or stock to loosen the curd and cooks well like gravy not dry.
• Add mutton pieces and stock, mix well, boil for 10min.
• At this stage simmer the flame.
• Sprinkle saffron colour, saffron strings, lemon juice, fried onions (optional), coriander leaves and few tbsp of ghee on top, kishmish, kaju.
• The rice is done when you press few grains between your index finger and thumb and they feel firm but mash completely.
• Switch it off, and let it rest for 5 to 8min.
• Garnish the yakhni pulao with crispy fried onions and serve it with any raitha, chicken or mutton curry and with any fry non veg fry masala.

Recipe Tips: 

• For yakhni enough water has to be used like 8 to 10 cups (1cup=200ml) and when cooked gets reduce to 7cups or less.
• The remaining stock can be used for making pulao or biryanis.
• I have directly added saffron (kessar) on the rice can soak in warm milk for few min and then can sprinkle on the rice, same with saffron colour or biryani colour in milk or water (30ml). I have used for the colour reason, can use any one.
• Can add peas for the colour or can omit the vegetables.
• Can make yakhni one day before and refrigerate or freeze it, when required. When refrigerated or it becomes cold the fat of the meat becomes hard and starts floating on top, a thin layer type, can discard for the fat reason or can include as per your taste, as it has the meat flavour.