Recipe Details

Servings: 12

Recipe Category: Lunch, Dinner

Difficulty Level: Medium

Cooking Times 90 minutes

Yakhni is the name used to describe bone broth from beef, goat, lamb, or chicken. The calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and other minerals from the bones are known to boost the immune system.

The broth is known to be used to cure colds and is often considered a whole meal in itself - like a heavy broth soup. Just like chicken noodle soup is served when people are feeling under the weather, Yakhni is the Southern Asian equivalent in countries such as Pakistan and India.

This dish combines the Yakhni with rice and chicken masala, to make a delicious comforting meal!

What you’ll need

• Yakhni 

  3 cups water 

  2 black cardamom pods 

  4 cloves

  6 black peppercorns

  2 bay leaf

  1 stick cinnamon

  1 tsp whole cumin (zeera) seeds 

  1 tsp whole coriander (dhanya) seeds

  1 tbsp garlic/ginger paste

  1 small onion cut into quarters

  2 tsp salt

  1 chicken (cut up, washed, and drained) 

  Chicken Masala 

  2 medium-sized  onions that are cut into long slices

  1 tbsp whole cumin (zeera) seeds

  1 cinnamon  stick

  6 peppercorns 

  3 tbsp. oil 

  2 tbsp butter

  2 tbsp garlic/ginger paste 

  ½  tbsp cumin (zeera) powder 

  ½  tbsp coriander (dhanya) powder 

  ½ tsp garam masala powder

  1 tsp salt 

  ½ cup plain yogurt 

  Rice

  4 cups of basmati rice (that at least has been soaking for 30 minutes) 

  2 small green chilies that have been chopped up

  Garnish with fried onions (store-bought or onions fried at home)

  
  

dIRECTIONS

To make the Yakhni

1. Boil about 3 cups of water in a pan with the spices above.

2. Let the yakhni cook for about 10 min and then add the chicken.

3. Let chicken cook with the water and spices for another 10 min.

4. Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the yakhni and set them aside in a bowl.

5. Drain the yakhni from the whole spices using a large sieve. Be sure to save all this liquid to cook the rice in.  

6. Throw out all the spices in the sieve.

To make the Chicken Masala

1. Brown the onions in the oil and butter in a large pot (as you will be adding the chicken masala and rice to this pot later).

2. Add the whole cumin seeds, green chilies, cinnamon stick, peppercorns.

3. Let the spices get golden (not totally brown).

4. Add the garlic/ginger paste and keep stirring. 

5. Add in small amounts of water if the mixture starts to stick. 

6. Next, add the coriander and cumin powder, garam masala powder, salt, yogurt, and the chicken pieces that you set aside earlier. 

7. Keep stirring gently (Be careful not to break any of the chicken pieces) for a few minutes.

Combine the Yakhni, rice, and chicken masala mixture 

1. Measure 6 cups of liquid (yakhni) you have (add plain water for the difference, if you are short of 6 cups of liquid). 

2. Add yakhni to chicken masala pot.  

3. Boil yakhni and chicken mixture on high heat.

4. Add drained rice to the pot.

5. Add the green chilies.

6. Gently stir once, taste the salt/spice and adjust if you need more.

7. Cover the pan tightly and turn the heat down to medium-low.

8. Let the rice cook without opening the lid for about 30 minutes.

9. Then check for doneness by gently stirring the bottom of the pan contents to the top.

10. Cover and cook again on the same (or lower heat) heat level for another few minutes if rice is not completely cooked.

11. Garnish with fried onions when serving.  

12. Serve with your favorite Raita recipe.