Yakhni Pulao
Ingredients
For Tampering
Instructions
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Step 1: Prepare the Meat and Stock
Boil the meat with 8–10 cups of water until it becomes tender. If you're using a pressure cooker, only 4 cups of water are needed. Once cooked, strain the meat from the stock, reserving the flavorful broth. Remove as many whole spices as possible from the meat, as they've already infused the stock with their flavor.
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Optional Spice Tip
If you don't enjoy biting into whole spices, place them in a clean muslin cloth and tie it securely into a small spice bundle (potli) before cooking. Simmer the bundle with the meat, then simply remove it once the meat is cooked. This gives you all the flavor without the whole spices in the finished pulao
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Step 2: Build the Flavor Base
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and fry the sliced onions until they turn a deep golden brown, being careful not to burn them. Add the cooked meat, followed by the garam masala, yogurt, and pulao masala. Cook everything together until the oil separates from the masala and the meat is well coated in the rich spices.
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Step 3: Add the Rice
Add the rice to the meat mixture and gently fry it for a few minutes to coat each grain with the flavorful masala. Pour in the reserved stock, making sure the liquid sits about 1½ inches above the rice. If needed, top up with warm water and adjust the seasoning with extra salt before adding the green chilies.
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Step 4: Steam the Pulao
Cook the pulao over high heat until the water has mostly evaporated—you should still see moisture beneath the rice, but very little on top. Cover the pot tightly, ideally with a layer of foil under the lid to trap the steam. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15–20 minutes. If you have a tawa (griddle), place it underneath the pot to prevent the bottom from scorching. -
Step 5: Serve
Once steam has built up inside the pot and the rice is perfectly cooked, gently fluff the yakhni pulao before serving. Mix together yogurt, salt, dry chili flakes, and crushed garlic to make a quick, cooling dip. Serve the yakhni pulao hot with the garlic yogurt on the side and enjoy!