Yakhni Pulao Recipe | Vegetable Yakhni Pilaf | Veg Yakhni Pulao with detailed photo and video recipe. A unique style of preparing the traditional pilaf or pulao recipe with vegetables and vegetable stock. Traditionally, yakhni pulao is mainly prepared with a choice of meat and chicken stock, but this recipe post is a vegetarian version of it. The vegetable yakhni pilaf pairs perfectly with spicy curry, dal, or raita recipes.
Yakhni Pulao Recipe | Vegetable Yakhni Pilaf | Veg Yakhni Pulao with step-by-step photo and video recipe. Kashmiri cooks prepare this pilaf with chicken stock. They simmer rice, spices, and vegetables in stock to build aroma and flavour. Diners often compare yakhni pulao with traditional Lucknowi biryani. Many debate their similarity.
It is perhaps one of the popular rice recipes from North Indian cuisine and also from Pakistan. Yakhni pulao is one of the delicacies of Awadhi cuisine, which is native to Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It is very popular among the native Muslim community of Lucknow and is a must-try recipe for their celebration feast. Kashmiri cooks make this popular pilaf with chicken stock. They simmer rice, spices, and vegetables in stock to build aroma and flavour. Many diners compare yakhni pulao to traditional Lucknowi biryani, and debates about their similarity are common. But I personally believe that both are totally different recipes, with biryani being stronger on spices.
While the recipe for yakhni pulao is extremely simple, there are some tips and recommendations for achieving a perfect pilaf. Firstly, as I mentioned previously, yakhni pilaf is traditionally prepared with chicken stock and a choice of meat. If you are comfortable with meat, then feel free to use it. Secondly, the quantity of stock or broth should be approximately a 1:2 ratio of rice and stock. If you are running short of it, you can extend it by adding more water. Lastly, I would highly recommend using soaked basmati rice for this recipe for the best results. I had tried once with Sona Masuri, and I wasn’t happy with the end result.
Finally, visit my other Pulao Recipes Collection with this recipe post of Vegetable Yakhni Pulao. It includes recipes like chana pulav, rajma pulao, capsicum pulao, kashmiri pulav, coriander pulao, mint rice, vegetable pulao and tawa pulao recipe. In addition, do visit my other recipe collection from my blog, like,
About Yakhni Pulao
Yakhni Pulao traces its roots to Muslim cooks from Lucknow and regions of present-day Pakistan. They perfected a method that steeps rice in a clear aromatic stock called yakhni. That approach creates a fragrant rice dish that looks inviting on any table. It also bridges biryani and pulao by using stock-driven flavour with gentle grain handling. In this vegetarian version, you build depth with a well-seasoned vegetable stock. Basmati rice gives long, separate grains and a light bite. Generous minced garlic perfumes the pot and lifts the savoury notes. Whole spices like cinnamon, bay, and cloves warm the stock without overpowering it. Finally, the kitchen fills with aroma as the steam carries the spice and garlic.
Begin by simmering onions, herbs, and spices to extract a clear stock. Strain the pot and measure liquid to match the rice for proper texture. Toast rinsed basmati briefly in ghee to add a nutty layer. Then, pour in the hot stock and cook over gentle heat until the grains are set. Rest the pot so trapped steam finishes the centre without clumping. Add small portions of carrots, peas, or beans if you want colour and keep quantities limited. Skip large handfuls of raisins because extra sweetness can shift the dish away from savoury. Serve the pulao hot with simple raita for a cool contrast. Salan or dal fry tadka turns the plate into a complete meal.
Fun Fact:
In Awadhi kitchens, cooks judge a pulao by the clarity and aroma of its yakhni. Wedding chefs often display the strained stock to show skill before finishing the rice.
Chef Tips for Yakhni Pulao
Yakhni Pulao cooks basmati in a clear aromatic vegetable stock. As a result, the rice tastes fragrant and gently spiced.
- Veg Stock: Simmer onions, garlic, herbs, and whole spices, then strain for a clean yakhni.
- Rice Choices: Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until the water runs clear, then soak it for 20 minutes.
- Vegetables: Add small amounts of carrots or peas so grains stay loose.
- Dry Fruits Choice: Limit raisins to a few pieces to keep the dish savoury.
- Resting: Rest 10 minutes off the heat, then fluff and garnish with fried onions and herbs.
Video Recipe
Recipe Card for Vegetable Yakhni Pulao
Yakhni Pulao Recipe | Vegetable Yakhni Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp cashew
- 2 tbsp almonds
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp fennel
- ½ javetri
- ½ tsp cloves
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 6 chilli, slit
- 5 beans, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 3 tbsp peas
- 1 potato, cubed
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ cup curd
- 3 cup veg stock
- 2 tsp salt
- 1½ cup basmati rice, soaked
- 3 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
Instructions
- Firstly, in a large kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil and add 2 tbsp cashews, 2 tbsp almonds and 2 tbsp raisins.
- Roast till the nuts turn golden brown. Keep aside.
- Now add 1 onion, 1 inch of ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, and 6 chilli and sauté until the onions turn golden brown.
- Further add 5 beans, 1 carrot, 3 tbsp peas, 1 potato, ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp garam masala.
- Sauté on a low flame till the spices turn aromatic.
- Now add ½ cup curd and cook till the oil separates from the sides.
- Add 3 cups of veg stock, 2 tsp salt, and bring to a boil.
- Further add 1½ cups of basmati rice and mix gently.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and cooked through.
- Also, add 3 tbsp of coriander, fried nuts, and mix gently without breaking the rice.
- Finally, enjoy Yakhni Pulao Recipe with raita.
Nutrition
How to Make Yakhni Pulao with Step-by-step Photos
- Firstly, in a large kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil and add 2 tbsp cashews, 2 tbsp almonds and 2 tbsp raisins.
- Roast till the nuts turn golden brown. Keep aside.
- Add spices and saute well. Now add 1 onion, 1 inch of ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, and 6 chilli and sauté until the onions turn golden brown.
- Further add 5 beans, 1 carrot, 3 tbsp peas, 1 potato, ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp garam masala.
- Sauté on a low flame till the spices turn aromatic.
- Now add ½ cup curd and cook till the oil separates from the sides.
- Add 3 cups of veg stock, 2 tsp salt, and bring to a boil.
- Further add 1½ cups of basmati rice and mix gently.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and cooked through.
- Also, add 3 tbsp of coriander, fried nuts, and mix gently without breaking the rice.
- Finally, enjoy Yakhni Pulao Recipe with raita.
Notes
- Firstly, be sure to add vegetable stock to make the pulao both nutritious and flavorful.
- Also, adding curd gives sourness and richness to the pilaf.
- Additionally, cook on a low flame or pressure cook for 2 whistles.
- Finally, Yakhni Pulao Recipe tastes great when served slightly spicy.
Hi Hebbar.. I just love the way you post the videos.. so clean so doable.. and to the point.. everyone in the family is a big fan.. and we all read your recipes the moment we get the notifications.. keep the great job going.. one query.. could you tell us what cookware do you use.. the kadais and the cookpots..
Thanks a lot 🙂 its prestige omega deluxe kadhai 🙂