Mutton yakhni pulao is the ultimate Indian comfort meal crafted from tender pieces of mutton, aromatic spices, and velvety smooth yakhni-infused basmati rice. The pulao dish is perfect for get-togethers and family gatherings.
What is Yakhni Pulao?
Yakhni pulao is a flavorful rice dish made by simmering long-grained rice in an aromatic bone broth called yakhni. It’s popular in North Indian, Pakistani, and Afghan cuisine and commonly made with chicken, beef, or tender mutton pieces.
Key Ingredients
- Ghee: Sauté the onions, green chilies, and aromatics in ghee to create a savory base for the mutton stock.
- Onion: Soften yellow onions to flavor the broth and caramelize more onions to layer into the rice.
- Whole Spices: Enrich the mutton broth with whole spices—a cinnamon stick, black cloves, black cardamom pods, green cardamom pods, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, dried bay leaves, and star anise. I prefer to gather the spices in a spice ball or wrap them in cheesecloth to make them easier to remove later.
- Garlic and Ginger: You will need about ten garlic cloves and a 3-inch piece of fresh ginger for the yakhni and the pulao masala.
- Green Chili Peppers: You will need six whole green chilies—jalapeño, serrano, or Thai peppers— or chop them for more heat.
- Mutton: Use bone-in mutton (lamb or goat meat) to prepare this easy mutton yakhni pulao recipe.
- Salt: Add kosher salt to the broth and rice.
- Basmati Rice: Rinse and soak fragrant basmati rice (the longer, the better). Soaking the rice results in long, distinct rice grains– perfect for pulao!
- Garnish: Finish the dish with a little garam masala and chopped cilantro and mint leaves. You can also add a few drops of kewra water or rose water to enhance the aroma (a little goes a long way).
How to Make Mutton Yakhni Pulao
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
I usually prepare yakhni in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to reduce the cooking time. You can make the broth in a Dutch oven or stockpot. Follow the instructions below, but simmer the ingredients over medium heat for 2-3 hours until the meat is fork-tender.
For the Mutton Yakhni
Step 1: Warm ghee in an Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, and a cinnamon stick. Sauté until the onions soften, for 8-10 minutes.
Step 2: While the onions soften, gather the whole spices in a spice ball and set it aside.
Step 3: Rinse the goat meat and add it to the Instant Pot with the kosher salt and water.
Step 4: Nestle the spice ball with whole spices into the pot. Secure the lid and manual high pressure for 40 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
What does natural release mean?
Natural release on the Instant Pot means allowing the pressure inside the pot to gradually decrease on its own after cooking finishes, without manually opening the pressure release valve. This process takes 10–30 minutes, depending on the amount of liquid inside the pot.
As the pressure decreases, the float valve will drop, signaling that it’s safe to open the lid. Natural release is ideal for soups, stews, or liquid-heavy recipes to prevent splattering.
For the Mutton Pulao
Step 1: Remove the spice ball and pour the broth over a large mixing bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve 2½ cups of the broth and store the rest. Set the goat meat aside.
Step 2: Warm ghee in a Dutch oven over low-medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown and crispy, for about 20-25 minutes.
Step 3: Meanwhile, wash the rice through a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a large bowl, cover it with water, and soak it for at least 30 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate with paper towels. In the same pot, sauté the cumin seeds and green chilies until they sputter. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 5: Drain the rice water and add the rice to the Dutch oven with 2½ cups of the prepared yakhni. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce to medium, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the yakhni is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Step 6: Remove the rice from the heat. Add a layer of the reserved goat to the bottom of a serving dish. Top the goat with a layer of yakhni-infused rice, followed by some of the caramelized onions. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Garnish with garam masala, chopped cilantro, and mint. Cover with a lid and set it aside to steam for 10-15 minutes before serving.
How to Make Instant Pot Yakhni Pulao
- Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl. Reserve 2½ cups of the broth and store the rest. Remove the goat pieces from the strainer and set the meat aside.
- Warm the ghee in an Instant Pot in saute mode. Add the onions and sauté on low until golden brown and crispy, for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon and set them aside. In the same pot, saute cumin seeds and green chili peppers until they sputter. Then, stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for one minute.
- Drain the water and transfer the rice to the Instant Pot with 2½ cups of the prepared yakhni. Bring the mixture to a boil in saute mode. Secure the lid and set it to manual high pressure for 7 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
Expert Tips
- Bone-in mutton is a must. While you can substitute for boneless mutton in other recipes, this is not one of them. You need bone-in mutton for a silky, flavorful broth to cook the rice.
- Use fresh spices. Spices lose their flavor over time, so start with fresh whole spices for the best results. It may seem small, but it makes a huge difference.
- Strain the broth. I keep the spices in a spice ball for easy retrieval. However, I recommend straining the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove aromatics, loose spices, and impurities for a smooth, clear broth.
- Prepare the rice. The best pulao starts with good rice. Begin by rinsing the grains under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch; this helps prevent the grains from sticking together while they cook. After rinsing, soak the rice in clean water for at least 30 minutes.
If you enjoy the delicious mutton yakhni pulao, try more Pakistani recipes!
Serving Suggestions
This hearty mutton yakhni pulao recipe gives you two meals in one. Enjoy the aromatic rice dish with a cooling side of cucumber raita, or turn up the heat with serrano crema or your favorite chutney. Plus, the leftover bone broth makes for a comforting soup—just add your favorite toppings.
Pair it with freshly chopped kachumber salad, sumac cucumbers, or avocado cucumber tomato salad to complete the meal.
If you’re making chicken pulao for a dawat or special occasion, consider serving it alongside beef Seekh kabobs, chicken salan, shami kebabs, nihari, or aloo gosht to complete the spread.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: If by some miracle you end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Leftover mutton yakhni soup will stay fresh for 1-2 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Mutton yakhni pulao freezes for 2-3 months.
- Reheat: Warm single servings in the microwave or transfer all the leftovers to a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350℉ (176℃) for 15-20 minutes until warm.
- How can I use leftover yakhni? Depending on my workout, I sip bone broth daily for at least one of my meals. Fill your favorite mug with the bone broth, and enjoy it as a soup. Top it with fresh lemon juice, chopped cilantro, green chilies, and julienne ginger—it’s so good! You can also use the broth as a base for soup or stew recipes like chicken noodle soup, Instant Pot arroz caldo, chicken and dumpling soup, or Instant Pot tortellini soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between yakhni pulao and biryani?
At first glance, pulao may look plain compared to a dish like chicken tikka biryani. But don’t let it fool you. What this pulao lacks in appearance, it more than makes up for in flavor. Yakhni pulao with mutton features long-grained rice simmered in a spiced bone broth or yakhni, resulting in a uniformly aromatic flavor.
In contrast, biryani has a more complex flavor created by layers of marinated meat, whole spices, and aromatics cooked with basmati rice for a bold and flavorful dish.
What is the rice to broth ratio?
The ideal rice-to-broth ratio for pulao is 1:2—one cup of rice to two cups of yakhni. This ensures the rice absorbs enough liquid to cook through while staying fluffy and separate.
More Rice Dishes:
Yakhni Pulao
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 6 medium garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 -inch knob of ginger, julienne
- 2-3 green chili peppers, slit lengthwise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-3 pounds bone-in goat, washed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 cups water
- 6 black cloves
- 4 black cardamom pods
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 star anise
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2-3 green chili peppers, slit lengthwise
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 -inch knob of ginger, grated
- 1 cup basmati rice, washed and soaked
- 1½ cup mutton yakhni reserved from the yakhni soup
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- cilantro leaves, chopped
- mint leaves, chopped
For the Mutton Yakhni:
- Warm ghee in an Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, and a cinnamon stick. Sauté until the onions soften, for 8-10 minutes.
- While the onions soften, gather the whole spices in a spice ball and set it aside.
- Rinse the goat meat and add it to the Instant Pot with the kosher salt and water.
- Nestle the spice ball with whole spices into the pot. Secure the lid and manual high pressure for 40 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
For the Mutton Pulao:
- Remove the spice ball and pour the broth over a large mixing bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve 2½ cups of the broth and store the rest. Set the goat meat aside.
- Warm ghee in a Dutch oven over low-medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown and crispy, for about 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash the rice through a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a large bowl, cover it with water, and soak it for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate with paper towels. In the same pot, sauté the cumin seeds and green chilies until they sputter. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Drain the rice water and add the rice to the Dutch oven with 2½ cups of the prepared yakhni. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce to medium, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the yakhni is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Remove the rice from the heat. Add a layer of the reserved goat to the bottom of a serving dish. Top the goat with a layer of yakhni-infused rice, followed by some of the caramelized onions. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Garnish with garam masala, chopped cilantro, and mint. Cover with a lid and set it aside to steam for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Bone-in mutton is a must. While you can substitute for boneless mutton in other recipes, this is not one of them. You need bone-in mutton for a silky, flavorful broth to cook the rice.
- Use fresh spices. Spices lose their flavor over time, so start with fresh whole spices for the best results. It may seem small, but it makes a huge difference.
- Strain the broth. I keep the spices in a spice ball for easy retrieval. However, I recommend straining the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove aromatics, loose spices, and impurities for a smooth, clear broth.
- Prepare the rice. The best pulao starts with good rice. Begin by rinsing the grains under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch; this helps prevent the grains from sticking together while they cook. After rinsing, soak the rice in clean water for at least 30 minutes.