Mutton Yakhni

Name: Mutton Yakhni
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: kashmiri
Ingredients: 600 g mutton (bone-in pieces, preferably shoulder or ribs); 0.75 cup yogurt (plain, whisked); 1 pcs onion (medium, thinly sliced); 2 inch ginger (divided; half crushed and half cut into fine strips); 5 pcs garlic (cloves, lightly crushed); 2 tbsp ghee; 3.5 cup water; 1 tsp fennel powder; 0.5 tsp dry ginger powder; 0.5 tsp cumin seeds; 3 pcs green cardamom (lightly crushed); 1 pcs black cardamom (lightly crushed); 4 pcs cloves; 1 pcs bay leaf; 6 pcs black peppercorns; 1 inch cinnamon; 0.5 tsp salt; 2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped, for garnish)

RATING

4.6/5(115)

TASTE SCORE

8/10

A light, aromatic mutton broth from North Indian and Kashmiri cooking, made by slowly simmering bone-in mutton with yogurt, fennel, ginger, and whole spices until the meat turns tender and the gravy stays silky.

PREP

20m

COOK

70m

SERVES

1 KATORI

550 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 9 STEPS

prep · ~10 min
Prep the mutton and yogurt.
1.Wash the mutton pieces and drain well.
2.Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until smooth.
3.Slice the onion, crush the garlic, and divide the ginger into crushed and julienned portions.
saute · ~7 min
Cook the onion and whole spices in ghee.
1.Heat ghee in a pressure cooker over medium heat.
2.Add cumin seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and cinnamon.
3.Let the spices sizzle for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant.
4.Add the sliced onion and cook until soft and lightly golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
5.Add the crushed ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
TIPKeep the heat moderate so the whole spices release flavor without turning bitter.
saute · ~6 min
Brown the mutton lightly.
Add the mutton pieces and stir over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the outside loses its raw color and picks up a little color from the ghee and onions.
mix · ~4 min
Stir in the yogurt and ground spices.
1.Lower the heat.
2.Add the whisked yogurt a little at a time, stirring continuously so it does not split.
3.Add fennel powder, dry ginger powder, and salt.
4.Mix well until the mutton is evenly coated.
TIPIf the pot feels too hot, take it off the heat briefly before adding the yogurt.
pressure cook · ~30 min
Pressure cook the yakhni.
Pour in the water and scrape the bottom well. Lock the lid and cook on medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes after full pressure, until the mutton is tender.
rest · ~10 min
Let the pressure drop naturally.
simmer · ~9 min
Simmer the broth to finish.
Open the cooker and simmer the yakhni uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes if you want a slightly deeper flavor or a little less liquid. The gravy should stay light and pourable, not thick.
garnish
Garnish with ginger and coriander leaves.
Scatter the julienned ginger and chopped coriander leaves over the hot yakhni just before serving.
serve
Serve the mutton yakhni hot.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
Use bone-in shoulder or ribs; the bones enrich the broth and give yakhni its characteristic body.
2
Whisk the yogurt completely smooth and add it on low heat in small additions to prevent curdling.
3
Do not brown the onions deeply; light golden onions keep the broth pale and delicate rather than heavy.
4
After adding water, scrape the cooker bottom well so no browned bits scorch during pressure cooking.
5
Let the pressure release naturally; quick release can tighten the meat and make the broth cloudy.
6
If the broth looks greasy after cooking, rest it for a few minutes and skim lightly instead of over-reducing.
7
The final gravy should remain thin and pourable, so simmer only briefly if you want a slightly stronger flavor.