Murgh Yakhni (Kashmiri)

About this recipe

Yakhni is one of the most elegant soups in the Kashmiri culinary tradition -- a pale, aromatic broth built from whole spices and chicken bones, finished with whisked yogurt that turns it creamy without cream. The word 'yakhni' refers to any stock or broth, but in Kashmiri cooking it specifically means this style: slow-simmered, delicately spiced, finished with yogurt, and completely unlike the red-and-chilli soups of Northern India. The spice selection is specifically Kashmiri: fennel seeds (saunf) provide a gentle anise sweetness, dry ginger powder (soonth) adds warmth without sharpness, and whole cardamom and cloves perfume the entire pot. No red chilli, no tomatoes, no strong colours -- the broth should be pale gold and slightly milky from the yogurt. The yogurt technique requires patience. The yogurt must be whisked very smooth before adding, the pot must be off the heat or at the lowest possible flame, and the yogurt must go in slowly, tablespoon by tablespoon, while stirring constantly. Any rush here will curdle the soup into grainy yellow liquid instead of silky white broth. Once incorporated, warm very gently -- a simmer around 80 degrees C, not a boil. Serve with fresh mint and plain basmati rice. Yakhni is one of those rare soups that warms from within rather than assaulting your senses.