yakhni biryani

 Coriander and cucumber for garnish and raitha respectively

 The meat stock saved to make the yakhni. Rice will be cooked in this stock

 Rice, washed and ready to be cooked in the meat stock

 Lamb meat pressure cooked with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel and coriander seeds, onions, garlic and green chillis and oil

tandblekningar strips                 Yakhni biryani ready to be served with some gravy or just plain cucumber raitha

I never had the patience to learn to cook as a young girl. I watched my mother, sisters cook meals, use spices and rustle up dishes I attacked like a wolf. But thanks to my friends all over the globe and recipes from the net, websites and blogs, I managed to cook and now, with a big dose of help from others, I can call myself as a person who has intermediate knowledge about spices, how to use them, etc.

This is the yakhni biryani I usuallly make when I want a qucik fix meal with meat.

1 lb of lamb meat
mixed whole spices
peppercorns, fennel, coriander, star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks
2 onions
1 garlic
2 green chillis
2 tbspoons of oil.
2 cups of rice to be washed and kept aside after draining the water. (for about 5 mins)

Pressure cook all of the above mentioned with ample water. after three or four whistles allow the pressure to minimize and separate the stock from the meat and keep it. cook the washed rice in the stock adding salt suiting your taste and when it is 3/4th cooked add the meat pieces and allow the water to drain.
Please make sure that you use the correct quantity of water. If you have excess stock, use it for soup or for the gravy you might plan on making the next time.
This dish can be cooked in 30 mins maximum.

Important:
Please throw away the onion, garlic and green chillis.
You have the option of putting all the spices including cloves, peppercorns etc in a muslin (tied) cloth.
I like to drop the spices directly. This way, you get few spices added to the final biryani.
Ranga Rajah