Kashmiri Recipes
RECIPE NO. 42
'Neni Yakhean'
(E-Mutton cooked with Curd, H-'Gosht ki Yakhni')
Both Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian
'Yakhni' have a thick whitish and curdy gravy. Curd is an integeral part
in their preparation. No Chillies or Turmeric is used. Plain Cooked Rice
and 'Yakhni' form a very good combination. It is especially liked
by those who do not relish hot spicy dishes.
A
| 1. Fatty Mutton cuts preferably from
Breast, Neck, Tail piece and Loin, cut into 15 to 20 pieces |
1 kg |
| 2. Aniseed whole |
2 tsp |
| 3. Green Ginger (15 gm) or Dry Ginger (7gm) |
| 4. Salt |
2 tsp |
| 5. Asafoetida |
a pinch |
B
| 1. Mustard oil |
half tea cup |
| 2. Cumin Seeds |
1 tsp |
| 3. Cloves |
5 nos |
| 4. Asafoetida |
a pinch |
| 5. Curd |
half kg |
| 6. Milk |
1 tea cup |
| 7. Sugar |
1 tsp |
| 8. Dry Ginger Powder |
1 tsp |
| 9. Aniseed Powder |
2 tsps |
| 10. 'Garam Masala' |
1 tsp |
| 11. Caraway Seeds |
half tsp |
| 12. Green Cardamoms |
10 nos |
| 13. Black Pepper Corns |
1 tsp |
| 14. Black Cardamom Seeds |
1 tsp |
| 15. Pure 'Ghi' (Optional) |
1 tbsp |
1. From ingredient list 'A' shred timely the Green
Ginger after scraping. If Dry Ginger is used, pound it into small pieces.
2. From ingredients of list 'B', in a bowl, mix
and churn together, with a churning stick (H -'Biloni'), the
Curd, Milk, Sugar, Ginger and Aniseed Powders. Keep it aside.
3. Pound the Black Pepper Corns and Black Cardamom
Seeds into a coarse powder, and keep ready for use.
Take a tinned copper or brass or a
stainless steel 'Patila' of about 3 litres capacity. Put in it the
Meat and add a litre of water, the whole Aniseeds, shredded Green Ginger
or broken Dry Ginger, Salt and Asafoetida powder. Place the 'Patila'
on the stove and let it boil on a medium flame for 1/2 hour or so till the
Meat become somewhat tender.
Remove the 'Patila' from fire and let it
cool a bit. Strain through a colander or a cloth, collecting the Soup in a
separate bowl. Sort out the Meat pieces, discarding the boiled Aniseeds,
Ginger and bone pieces etc. Add the soup to the churned Curd, Milk, Ginger
and Aniseed mixture and again mix it well with a ladle.
After cleaning the 'Patila', used for
boiling the Meat, pour the Mustard oil in it and heat it till the froth
disappears and the oil begins to smoke a little. Remove the 'Patila'
from the heat for a few minutes, to let the temperature of the oil come
down a bit. Add Cloves, Cumin Seeds and a pinch of Asafoetida and
stir with a steel or wooden ladle, till the Cloves and Cumin Seeds fry a
bit, but do not get burnt.
Now add the mixture of Curd and Soup etc., and
resume heating the 'Patila', while continuing to stir the
contents so that the Curd does not crack and separate. Bring to a
boil. When Curd, Soup etc. blend nicely, and the boiled Meat pieces. Let
boil for a little while stirring the contents with a ladle now and
then. Now let the Meat etc. simmer on low heat, till the gravy
thickens, oil begins to show and the Meat gets soft.
Remove from heat if the 'Yakhni' has to be
served later. In that case, before serving, heat the 'Patila' again
on low flame and add the 'Garam Masala' , pounded Black Cardamom
Seeds and Black Pepper Corns. Caraway Seeds and the Green Cardamoms after
crushing these a little . Pure 'Ghi' , if desired, may also be
added. After stirring gently and boiling for a minute serve hot . If the
Dish is to be served immediately after the gravy thickens, then these
Condiments are added that very time.
For cooking 'Yakhni' and 'Qaliya',
both Non- vegetarian or Vegetarian, generally an earthenware pot, a
'Leij' a 'Deg' or a 'Degul' is used in Kashmir.
