Recipe: Lamb Ribs Soup in Yogurt — Dahi Yakhni

A light, soup-based dish of Kashmiri origins, Dahi Yakhni is perfect for those who relish a bit of ‘chatkhara’ and tang in life.

Relatively easy to make, Dahi Yakhni is also known as ‘Aab Gosht’ although the latter is usually made with milk rather than yogurt. Remember though: good quality lamb meat is absolutely essential for this dish, lest it taste bad.

Ingredients

• Lamb ribs 1Kg

• Yogurt 2Kg

• Fennel seeds 1 tbsp

• Coriander seeds (crushed) 1 tbsp

• Garlic 1

• Onions (sliced) 2

• Green cardamom 1

• Black cardamom 1

• Salt (to taste)

Method

Step 1: Clear Soup (6-7 cups):

•  Add the meat, garlic (whole), salt, and coriander and fennel seeds in a deep pan.

•  Add sufficient water to cover the meat.

•  Let the water simmer until the soup is ready but make sure the meat is not cooked completely during this process. Keep tasting the soup to check its flavour. This step is likely to take 15-20 minutes.

•  Once done, take out the meat from the soup and set it aside.

•  Sieve the soup and discard the remaining ingredients.

•  Fry the meat in a separate pan until it becomes brown.

Note: The cooking time of the meat can vary depending on the quality.

Step 2: Curry

•  In another pan, heat 4 tbsp of oil and add the onions. Once fried, take out the onions as the oil can be reused in the next step. Chop the fried onions finely in a blender and set them aside.

•  Pour the yogurt into a bowl and whip it thoroughly. You may also use a blender for better results.

•  Add the yogurt in the leftover hot oil and keep stirring as you add more. Keep stirring until the oil comes out on top of the yogurt.

•  Add the green and black cardamoms and about ½ 1/2 tsp of salt.

•  Add the onions to the yogurt and cook for 10 minutes.

•  Add the meat to the blend and cook until the oil comes up again and enough of the flavours have blended in.

•  Add the clear soup made in Step 1 into this mixture and keep mixing until it starts to boil. If the soup is too little, add a glass of water.

•  Cover the pan and allow the mixture to cook for 15-20 minutes.

•  When the soup becomes a little think in consistency, slow the heat.

•  Cook until the oil comes up and serve with boiled rice. Addiction guaranteed!

Madiha Hamid is a digital media professional. She loves the food traditions unique to families. She is running a food blog for Pakistani and regional cuisines called cheflingtales.com

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, May 5^th, 2013.

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