
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou
The essence of this pulao is the yakhni, which means meat stock or broth: The delicate flavor of the chicken stock is absorbed by the rice. Do use chicken thighs on the bone when preparing the stock rather than boneless thighs or breasts to ensure the stock has flavor. The name, yakhni—and some of the spices—is Kashmiri, but this dish is not made in Kashmir. Rather, it hails from modern-day Uttar Pradesh. One theory regarding the origin of this pulao is that it was made in the palace of the ruler of Oudh—modern-day Lucknow—in the 19th century by Kashmiri cooks. The pale color of this pulao is deceptive; it’s packed with flavor and spices. This is a wonderful one-pot dish to make for the entire family.


