Mutton yakhni pulao recipe Pakistani-Eid Special

Mutton yakhni pulao recipe is one of the best recipes of Eid al-adha or called Bakra Eid. I always have flash back of my childhood Eid celebrations when the tempting aroma of this special Mutton yakhni pulao touches my olfactory receptors. We prepare traditional Mutton yakhni pulao with rice and meat seasoned with whole indian spices.

What is pulao?

In polau we cook rice with mutton, chicken or beef stock or yakhni with whole spices. Yakhni is special kind of broth that is made up of water, meat with bones, salt and whole spices like black cardamom, green cardamom, cumin seeds, black peppercorn, Cinnamon, taiz pat(optional), fennel seeds and coriander seeds.

Dominant flavour of pulao is salty rather then spicy. Its unforgettable flavour and aroma is due to the presence of whole spices and broth. In mutton yakhni pulao we use meat of lamb or goat shoulder or leg with bones.

What is the difference between biryani and pulao?

The real difference between biryani and pulao lies in the method of cooking of these recipes.we prepare Biryani after mixing boiled rice with already prepared meat qorma masala. This often involves layering method.

Check out our recipe of beaf mince biryani.

On the other hand in pulao preparation rice simmer up in meat broth and aromatic indian whole spices or garam masala. So rice grains have deep meaty flavour and striking aroma. The golden color of rice is due to caramelized onions that must be fried at start of making broth. Addition of small quantity of ginger-garlic and tomatoe enhance its colour and flavour.

Pilaf or pulao are technically same. Some people also add vegetables like peas, potatoes and fresh beans, carrots. This type of also called vegetable polau or vegetables pulao or Tahri. Tahri is forgotten word for potato pulao or Vegetable polau.

History of pulao?

Historical roots of pulao goes to central Asia, where we can find in Sansikrit word polau that means rice and meat.

Persian version of pilaf they use dry nuts, lemon, orange water and saffron.

In Indian version and Pakistani version we use yogurt for seasoning of meat that makes its tastes border then it gain it’s popularity in Afghanistan and Turkey.

Afghanistani popular pulao is Qabli Pulao, that gives tempting combination of sweet and salty flavour.

Greek version is “pilafi”. They mostly prepare this pilafi with meat broth, but some spices are different.

Ingredients of mutton yakhni pulao recipe:

Rice:

Rice should be of good quality. In Pakistan we can use super basmati rice or aged rice, which have longer cooking time and delightful aroma. It must be basmati rice rather than “long grain”the chances of sticking and softening of rice is far less. Some people prefer to use sala rice that has more cooking time than basmati rice but it’s taste and aroma can spoil your original pulao flavour. I prefer to use super basmati rice of Pakistan and result is always amazing.

Mutton:

I prefer to use shoulder cut mutton. It has perfect combination of fat and bones and remains intact when tender in prepared pulao rice. Real recipe of yakhni pulao uses mutton but it can be prepared with chicken and beef meat too.

Vegetables:

Vegetables includes slices of Onion, tomato, chopped Ginger garlic, fresh coriender and green chilies.

whole spices:

whole spices like black cardamom, green cardamom, cumin seeds, black peppercorn, Cinnamon, taiz pat(optional), fennel seeds and coriander seeds.

How to cook mutton yakhni pulao recipe Pakistani:

Cooking of mutton yakhni pulao recipe starts with making of spices potli or bag with spices and muslin cloth. First measure and clean the whole spices and bind them in muslin cloth. With the help of muslin cloth we can sqeeze all its flavour and essence.

Measure rice and wash it with water for three times then soak it in water for 15-20 min.

Take slices of onion and let it heat in oil on low flame. Then add salt this addition of salt speed up caramalizing of onion slices. Cook slices untill they get lotranslucent then add chopped ginger-garlic and stir fry until color changes to golden brown.

Now its time to add meat with bones. Here I am taking shoulder pieces of mutton with some rib piecs. Mix it a little and add chopped fresh coriander and green chillies and blended yogurt. And stir fry for 5-10 min, this step is called bhunai. This step of bhunai will make this recipe perfect as one pot or instant pot recipe. Other wide you will have to do this step after making stock which is very tiring and involves more then one pan.

Making of yakhni:

Now add Black peppercorn powder, green chillies, tomato, spices bag and water.

Add water and close the lid of pressure cooker and let it cook for 15 min under pressure. This is making of stock. After 15 min turn off the flame and release the pressure.

Cooking of rice in yakhni or broth:

We just prepare our broth or stock or yakhni. Its time to add rice. Rinse rice and add them to this stock. Turn on the f medium flame and cook rice in this stock for 10 min.

when rice absorb most of the water them cover the pan with lid and slow down the flame to very low.

At this step you should be careful, If you feel rice are getting soften cover the lid with absorbant cloth and then cover the pan. But if you feel rice are uncooked more then half you can add 1/4 or half glass of water depends on rice cooking conditions.

Now cook rice in steam for 15 min.

After 15 minutes mutton yakhni pulao is ready.

Garnish it with fried onion slices and serve with yogurt mint raita and fresh salad.

Tips for making best mutton yakhni pulao recipe:

• Always use rice with longer cooking time.
• Be careful about the quantity of water. My pro tip is to use double the quantity water of rice when you start making yakhni. We can adjust Leser quantity by adding more water but lager quantity can spoil your salt ratio or your rice will be softened and sticky. Rice level in stock should be one inch below at the start of cooking rice at maximum not more then this.
• Addition of tomato is optional but it’s presence enhances flavour and give a little darkar and vibrant colour to yakhni pulao.
• The presence of bones wiht meat enhances broth flavour and texture.
• I am sharing authentic and tested one pot recipe of mutton yakhni pulao . You can follow it step by step to minimize the use of utensils and time consumption. That will definitely give to less fatigue.
• Another protip is addition of salt. I add salt 1 teaspoon per 250g of rice and 1/2 teaspoon per 500 grams of meat. That makes pulao a bit salty and tasty.
• For addition of spices we use bag or potli and remove after making broth so that spices can not come into your mouth with every bite of rice and can not spoile taste.

Mutton yakhni pulao recipe video:

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5 from 2 votes

Mutton yakhni pulao recipe

Mutton yakhni pulao recipe is made up with super quality rice simmer with mutton yakhni, whole spices salt and peppercorn powder.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Pakistani

Keyword Mutton recipes, Mutton yakhni pulao recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 5

Calories 600kcal

Ingredients

whole spice ingredients

• 3 pods green cardamom
• 4 pods black cardamom
• 10-15 black peppercorn
• 8-10 cloves
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 star anise

Polau ingredients

• 500 g mutton shoulder pieces
• 1/2 cup Oil
• 1 piec Onion medium slices
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp green chilies chopped and 3 whole
• 1/2 cup yogurt blended
• 1 tbsp black peppercorn powder
• 1 lit water
• 1 piece tomato medium
• 500 g Rice

Instructions

• Clean all whole spice ingredients and place in musline cloth and tie.
  
• Take rice and wash three times and soak rice for 15-20 min
  

preperation of mutton broth:

• Add oil in a pan, let it heat on low flame then add onion slices.Now add salt, now let these slices change their color on low heat. Cook untill they get traslucent.
  
• when onion get translucent add chopped ginger garlic and stir fry untill color changes to golden brown.
  
• Now add mutton pieces with bones and stir fry or do bhunai. During this bhunai add chopped fresh coriander and green chillie.
  
• After bhunai add blended yogurt mix it well.
  
• Now add green chillies, fresh tomato and whole spices potli and water and close the lid of cooker and let it cook for 15 min.
  
• After 15 min turn off the flame and release the pressure, remove tomato peels and whole spices potli.
  
• Its time to add soaked and drained rice in this broth.
  
• Water or yaknhni should be above rice maximum 1 inch from the rice level.
  
• Let it cook for 10 min untill yakhni absorbed by rice and rice get half cooked. You can check half cooked rice by pinching one or two rice between your fingers. Half cooked rice will divide in to three to five pieces.
  
• Now cook rice under steam for 10-15 min to cook completly and won't get skicky and soften.
  

Video

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