Recipe- Kashmiri Style Al Yakhni

Yakhni is a mild curry made with yogurt and whole spices. Al means bottle gourd in Kashmiri. Kashmiri al yakhni is also popularly known as dahiwali lauki. What sets the Kashmiri yakhni apart from most common Indian curries is that it does not use onion, tomato, or garlic. The dish is flavoured mainly with whole spices alone.

Ingredients

1 kg bottle gourd
1½ cup yogurt
3 teaspoon fennel powder
2 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon shah jeera (caraway seeds)
1 small piece cinnamon
3 cardamon
1 black cardamom
4 cloves
2-3 green chilli slit
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon coriander leaves

Method

- Wash and peel the bottle gourd. Cut them into cubes

- Take yogurt in a bowl and whisk it well

- Add fennel powder and ginger powder. Whisk well

- Add 1 cup water and mix well. Set aside

- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a wide pan

- Fry the bottle gourd pieces until they are brown from all sides. Add bottle gourd in batches and fry on medium heat, adding some more ghee as needed. Set aside

- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in another pan

- Add jeera, shah jeera, and whole spices. Saute for a few seconds

- Add the yogurt mixture, salt, and green chilli

- Mix well and bring to a boil

- Add the fried bottle gourd

- Simmer and let it cook until the bottle gourd is completely done

- Add coriander leaves and mix well

- Serve hot with steamed rice.