If you were to ask me to name my favourite pulao, it would definitely be Yakhni Pulao. A Kashmiri speciality and a royal dish that was served to the Maharajas of India.
Yakhni is a flavourful stock achieved from cooking either mutton or chicken with spices. The pulao is prepared with this stock along with the meat resulting in a fragrant, aromatic dish. Fennel seeds, a predominant spice used in Kashmiri cuisine enhances the flavour of the rice.
Yakhni Pulao is cooked for feasts and special occasions. This dish gets its unique golden colour from the stock and browning of the onions. Garnished with caramelized onions on top, every morsel feels like a party in your mouth.
Yakhni is a flavourful stock achieved from cooking either mutton or chicken with spices. The pulao is prepared with this stock along with the meat resulting in a fragrant, aromatic dish. Fennel seeds, a predominant spice used in Kashmiri cuisine enhances the flavour of the rice.
Yakhni Pulao is cooked for feasts and special occasions. This dish gets its unique golden colour from the stock and browning of the onions. Garnished with caramelized onions on top, every morsel feels like a party in your mouth.
Chicken Yakhni Pulao
(Serves 8)
Chicken Marination
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
4 long green chillies (cut into small rounds)
6 large cloves of garlic (minced)
1” piece of ginger (grated)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon fennel powder
salt
Method:
Remove the skin and cut chicken into pieces reserving the backbone for stock. Marinate the chicken pieces with rest of the ingredients for at least four hours.
Stock
Ingredients:
1 chicken backbone
1 onion (chopped into pieces)
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
6 cups water
Method:
In a pot, add all the above ingredients and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and reserve 4 1/2 cups stock for pulao.
Rice
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rice
2 onions (sliced)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
3 cinnamon sticks (1.5” each)
4 green cardamoms
6 cloves
8 peppercorns
1 black cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (grated)
1 star anise (chakra phool, grind in mortar pestle)
1 blade of mace (javitri, grind in mortar pestle)
2 bouillon cubes
1/4 cup oil or ghee
salt
Method:
Wash and soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
In a large wide bottomed pan, heat oil or ghee. Add onions and fry on medium flame till golden brown. Then add cumin seeds, bay leaf and all the other spices. Fry for few seconds and then add the marinated chicken pieces. Stir and fry on low flame till chicken pieces are half cooked.
Melt bouillon cubes in warm reserved stock. Now add the stock to the pan. Stir and let the stock come to a nice boil.
In the meantime, drain rice and keep it ready. When the stock comes to a roaring boil, add the rice and stir gently. Close pan with the lid and on medium heat, let the chicken and rice cook.
When most of the stock is absorbed and very little left at the bottom of the pan, shut off the flame and close the lid. Do not touch or open for 15 minutes. The rice will absorb the remaining moisture. Lift the cover after the indicated time. Each grain of rice will be firm, cooked and separated. With a fork, gently move the top grains around to moisten them. Garnish rice with caramelized onions.
Note:
(Serves 8)
Chicken Marination
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
4 long green chillies (cut into small rounds)
6 large cloves of garlic (minced)
1” piece of ginger (grated)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon fennel powder
salt
Method:
Remove the skin and cut chicken into pieces reserving the backbone for stock. Marinate the chicken pieces with rest of the ingredients for at least four hours.
Stock
Ingredients:
1 chicken backbone
1 onion (chopped into pieces)
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
6 cups water
Method:
In a pot, add all the above ingredients and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and reserve 4 1/2 cups stock for pulao.
Rice
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rice
2 onions (sliced)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
3 cinnamon sticks (1.5” each)
4 green cardamoms
6 cloves
8 peppercorns
1 black cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (grated)
1 star anise (chakra phool, grind in mortar pestle)
1 blade of mace (javitri, grind in mortar pestle)
2 bouillon cubes
1/4 cup oil or ghee
salt
Method:
Wash and soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
In a large wide bottomed pan, heat oil or ghee. Add onions and fry on medium flame till golden brown. Then add cumin seeds, bay leaf and all the other spices. Fry for few seconds and then add the marinated chicken pieces. Stir and fry on low flame till chicken pieces are half cooked.
Melt bouillon cubes in warm reserved stock. Now add the stock to the pan. Stir and let the stock come to a nice boil.
In the meantime, drain rice and keep it ready. When the stock comes to a roaring boil, add the rice and stir gently. Close pan with the lid and on medium heat, let the chicken and rice cook.
When most of the stock is absorbed and very little left at the bottom of the pan, shut off the flame and close the lid. Do not touch or open for 15 minutes. The rice will absorb the remaining moisture. Lift the cover after the indicated time. Each grain of rice will be firm, cooked and separated. With a fork, gently move the top grains around to moisten them. Garnish rice with caramelized onions.
Note:
- To caramelize onion, fry one sliced onions in a skillet with two tablespoons of oil. Once onion is soft, add a pinch of sugar and on low flame, stir and fry till caramelized.
- The rice to water ratio for every 1 cup of rice is 2 cups of water. I always add 1/2 cup less water or stock. The reason being that the rice is soaked for 30 minutes so it does not require the extra 1/2 cup.
- India Gate classic basmati rice was used for making this yakhni pulao. The grains are quite long and fragrant.
- Always use a wide bottomed pan to cook pulao. This gives the rice grains enough room to spread and bloom.
