LAMB YAKHNI - A delicate Kashmiri yogurt based preparation with influence from Mughals and British

LAMB YAKHNI

The Preparation I am sharing today is Lamb Yakhni.

Yakhni is a yogurt based lamb dish from Kashmir, which originated in Persia and brought to India during Akbar rule in late 1500. The earliest documentation of Yakhni is found in Ain-I-Akbar. And sometime during the British Raj  Yakhni was modified for vegetarians as well.

And using this I give you option of cooking this dish with Lamb/ Chicken or Potatoes.

Yakhni is a perfect example where 7 very simple ingredients can give you a very complex dish which has layers of flavor. This is one of very few Indian recipes which don’t have onions& tomatoes in the gravy.

Lets move to the recipe

Recipe

Ingredients:

1. Mustard oil  6 Tbsp

2 Asafetida (Heeng ) – 1/2 tsp

3.Aniseed (Saunf ) – 4 Tbsp ground to a powder

4.Cinnamon (Dalchini) – 1/2 stick

5. Yogurt – 1 Kg (Preferably home made or unsweetened curd)

6. Lamb – 1 Kg (preferable cut of meat- Neck Chest – Soft cuts )(Replace it with chicken/ potatoes if you want)

7. Red chilli powder – 2 tsp  (Deghi mirch for a better color)

Preparation:

1.  Powder the Aniseed

2.  Clean and wash the lamb

3.  Whisk the curd to ensure that there are no lumps and, it’s all smooth

Cooking:

1.       Put the lamb to cook in a pressure cooker for approx. 25 minutes sprinkle 1tsp aniseed powder for additional flavor

2.       Turn on the heat and take a wide pan with a heavy bottom (Like a kadai/dekchi)

3.       Put mustard oil and let it burn and loose the strong mustard flavor

4.       Once the oil starts smoking turn the heat off and let it cool for couple of minutes

5.       Turn the heat on , add asafetida and cinnamon and stir it for a minute

6.       Mix aniseed powder with half cup water and add to the cooking mixture

7.       Keep stirring all through the while ensuring it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan

8.       Cook till the mixture turns reddish in color  

9.       Turn the gas low

10.   Add yogurt and keep stirring all the time till the time. Ensure that yogurt is simmering and doesn't boil

11.   Add Chilli powder and keep simmering it should not take more than 25-30 minutes

12.   Keep cooking till the fat from yogurt comes on top and the gravy turns reddish in color, add salt and more chilli powder as per your taste

13.   Take the cooked lamb and strain the liquid add it to the top

** don’t throw the liquid it could be used to thin the gravy if you require, you can use it as a base of soup or to cook rice. It has a lot of flavor I love to add some spice in the broth and turn into a soup (but let’s keep that recipe for some other time)

14.   Bring the pot to boil and  cook for 5 more minutes

15.   Serve it with long grain rice and enjoy Kashmiri cuisine right at your home

Naga Pork curry with Bamboo shoots

The First preparation I would like to share is Naga meat curry flavored with Bamboo shoot and raja mircha.
When it comes to north eastern part of the country we only talk about Momo's and Thupka, on exploring i realized the cuisine has loads of flavor, taste and textures. The dish we are talking about is healthy, tasty and very easy to make.
You can get a distinctive taste of all the ingredients and enjoy the depth of the dish with every bite you take. it goes best with plain steamed/boiled rice.
I have added my touch to the recipe by adding some greens which makes it even healthier than what it is.

Recipe
Ingredients

Meat – 1 Kg (Chicken/Lamb/ Pork)

Bamboo Shoots – 50 grams

Raja Mircha (Paprika easily available option )  - 3 Chilies / 2 Tsp

Tomato – 2 no

Ginger – 3 Inches

Garlic – 10 Pods

Spring Onions -   ½ Bunch

Spinach – ¼ Bunch

Vegetable Oil – 1 Tbsp

Salt     - As per taste 

Preparation  :

1    1.   Wash and Clean Meat

      2.   Peal and wash Ginger and Garlic and crush it in a pestle and mortar 

      3.   Make incisions in Tomato on top to make it look like a cross

      4.   Clean and Wash Spring onions and Spinach

  

     Cooking   :

      1.  Take the pressure cooker and heat oil 

      2.  Saute Meat till its sealed and brown (Chicken - 8-10 minutes ; Lamb - 25 minutes ; Pork 45 minutes) 

      3.  Add Water and bring it to boil (water only to cover the meat and 1 inch higher the meat). 

      4.  Add Bamboo shoots, crushed Raja mircha (Paprika) and tomatoes and Salt. 

      5.  Put the lid and let it cook.

      4.  Cook till meat is done (Chicken - 10 minutes ; Lamb - 20 minutes ; Pork 40 minutes)

      5.  Let the steam get off Open the lid and add crushed ginger garlic

      6.  Let it cook for 5 minutes and add spring onions and spinach

      7.  Taste for Salt and heat from the chilies

        Naga curry is ready to eat 

I I want to dedicate this recipe to the friends who made it for me few months back and got me hooked to bamboo shoots from then on. 

  And this should help all to explore some more flavors of north east. 

   Look out for the next recipe from my favorite part of the country GOA. One of the authentic Portuguese recipe which takes us to sweet, sour and spicy taste.     

Introduction

I am Navneet , food is my passion only next to my family. There is no better way to express myself than food.
I generally say food is my religion and food is divine to me.
In this blog we will talk about food, try some authentic recipes which we dont get in resturants and cook books often, but passed on through Grand mums, mums and friends, and give them my own twist. Make them easy to cook.

In our busy lives we are moving away from our roots, and turning towards fast food and packed food. In this blog we shall cook and share some easy, fast yummy recipes and make it time friendly.
We shall also try some different cuisines and make them our own, adapt them to local ingredients and taste to make is easy to cook.

We will also talk about some restaurants and food experience around Pune/ India and across the globes. This should help us decide where to go and what to eat.

I hope you will enjoy reading the experience, try some recipes and share your feedback.