Mutton Yakhni Pulao

A divinely aromatic, tender rice and mutton pilaf that's perfect for big celebrations as well as everyday meals. Cooked using Veetee Mega's premium long basmati rice for the fluffiest grain and the true authentic flavour.

Cook Time: 2 15

Servings: people

5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

Whole spices for the broth

2 black cardamoms, whole
12 green cardamoms, whole
2 tablespoon coriander seeds, whole
2 tablespoon black pepper corns, whole
2 tablespoon cumin seeds, whole
6 cloves, whole
3 bay leaves, whole, whole
1 large cinnamon stick

Other broth ingredients

3 fresh green chillies, whole (optional)
6 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2.2 lb (1 kg) mutton, bone in
10 cloves garlic, whole (equates to about 3 teaspoon minced garlic)
8 cups (2 l) water

Remaining ingredients

5 tablespoon (75 ml) oil or ghee
2.5 (275 g) medium onions, sliced into fine and even slivers
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, whole
4 cups (800 g) long grain basmati rice (I recommend Veetee Premium Long Grain Basmati Rice) washed and soaked for up to 90 minutes

Instructions

Place all the whole spices for the broth into a spice infuser or a permeable clean cloth (see notes for what to do if you do not have these). Place all the broth ingredients into a deep pot. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat for 1.5 hours, or until the mutton is cooked through and soft, but not falling of the bone.
Once the broth is cooked, in a seperate pot heat oil/ghee over a medium to high heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring often, until they turn a deep shade of golden. Reduce the heat if you feel the onions are browning too quickly or unevenly.
Strain the mutton from out of the broth, and once the onions are golden, add these in. Try to avoid getting too much moisture from the broth into this. Saute the mutton over a high heat alongside the onions, until the mutton catches a golden colour and the onions turn dark golden. Add the cumin seeds in for the final minute.
Add 5 cups of the prepared broth. The garlic cloves should have broken down themselves by now, but if they haven't, you can mash them with a fork and add them in too, alongside the green chillies if used. If you are short of broth, top up with plain water.
Bring to a rolling boil, then add the basmati rice. Continue to cook over a high heat, folding the rice gently to make sure the rice grains don't break, whilst ensuring nothing is sticking to the sides or bottom of the pot. This may take between 7-10 minutes, but you will need to remain close at all times as times can vary.
Once most of the liquid has evaporated from the rice, check the rice for doneness. It should be about 80% done - stiff and with a noticeable bite, but definitely not raw. At this stage, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting, and cover the rice with a tight fitted lid (optionally lined with a clean tea towel).
Allow everything to cook over this low heat for between 15 to 30 minutes, undisturbed. Do not open the lid during this time.
Fluff up the rice using a flat paddle or a small side plate immediately after. Yakhni Pulao is best served immediately!

Notes

All cup measurements are standard 250 ml measuring cups.
IMPORTANT: If you are cooking more or less rice than in the recipe
The ratio of rice to broth liquid needed will change if you aren't using the quantities in the recipe. The formula I use is for every cup of rice you cook, you will need the same number + 1 cups of water. If you are cooking 2 cups of rice, use 3 cups of broth. If you are cooking 10 cups of rice, use 11 cups of broth, and so forth.
If you do not own a spice infuser or a clean permeable cloth, you can add the whole spices directly into the broth. You will need to sieve them out before using the broth in Step 4 using a strainer, slotted spoon or colander.
After Step 1, you may discard the spices. However, if you've used a small spice infuser, you can choose to add it in alongside the broth liquid in step 4 for some a more pronounced aroma and flavour.

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