Kashmiri Mutton Yakhni

Yakhni is one of the dishes of the Kashmiri wazwan feast and the opposite of a red, fiery curry: lamb is cooked in a pale, silky yoghurt sauce scented with fennel, dry ginger and cardamom.

Kashmiri Pandits make it without onion and garlic; this version follows that tradition. Serve with plain rice.

• Serves 4
• Prep 15 min
• Cook 80 min
• gluten-free · Mild
• Famous in Jammu & Kashmir

Ingredients

• 800 g lamb or mutton on the bone, in pieces
• 3 tbsp ghee or mustard oil
• 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 3 cm cinnamon, 2 bay leaves
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 500 g thick full-fat yoghurt
• 1 tbsp gram flour (besan) or corn starch
• 2 tsp fennel powder
• 1½ tsp dry ginger powder
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp shahi jeera (black cumin)
• Dried mint to finish
• Salt

Method

1. Put the meat in a pot with 800 ml water, the whole spices, hing and 1 tsp salt. Simmer covered for 50–60 minutes until tender (or 5 whistles in a pressure cooker). Keep the stock.
2. Whisk the yoghurt with the gram flour, fennel and ginger powder until smooth.
3. Heat the ghee in a heavy pan. Lower the heat, add the yoghurt and stir constantly in one direction until it comes to a gentle boil – this stops it from splitting.
4. Add the meat and about 300 ml of the stock. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes until the sauce is creamy.
5. Fry the shahi jeera in 1 tsp ghee and pour over. Finish with cardamom powder and a pinch of dried mint.

Tip: Use full-fat yoghurt at room temperature – cold, low-fat yoghurt splits easily.

Shop the ingredients

Everything you need for this recipe is in stock at Farmah’s – order online or pick it up at Annenstraße 41, Graz.