Plate of Greek food: yakhni at top center, with pork souvlaki below, mousaka (bottom left) and rice pilaf (bottom right)
Beef yahnia in North Macedonia
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| Alternative names | Yahni, yahnia, jahni, yakhna, yakhnia, iahnie |
|---|---|
| Type | stock, broth, or soup |
| Main ingredients | lamb meat or mutton meat |
Yakhni (Persian: یخنی,[1] Arabic: يخني, Urdu: یخنی, Hindi: यख़नी, Greek: γιαχνί[2]), yahni (Turkish[3]), or yahniya (Bulgarian: яхния, Serbian, Macedonian: јанија), jahni (Albanian[4]) is a class of dishes traditionally prepared in a vast area encompassing South Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans.[5]
A meat stew named yakhni originated as a Medieval Iranian cuisine. The name derives from the covered clay pot in which it was originally cooked.[5] The meaning of the Persian word is "store of food".[5][1] Different varieties of this dish later spread eastwards to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and South Asia and westwards to the Ottoman Empire reaching the Levant and the Balkans.[5]
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InIranian cuisine, yakhni is a meat stew akin to khoresh, while yakhni-polow is a pilaf cooked in a stew.[5]
InArab (especially Palestinian), Albanian, Greek, and Turkish cuisines, it is a stew of meat, fish, or vegetables in a browned-onion base with tomatoes and olive oil. In Bulgarian cuisine, sunflower oil is used instead of olive oil.
InRomanian cuisine, the term iahnie de fasole refers to a style of baked beans, often cooked or served with smoked meat and sausages (fasole cu cârnați).
InPakistan and India, yakhni refers to stockorbroth of beef, chicken, lamb or mutton.[6] It is touted for its health benefits[7] and is often the base for many foods including pulao[8] (apilaf) and other shorbas (soups).
InBangladesh, akhni is a mixed rice dish and variant of the biryani and polao dishes.
A version of the dish is also part of the Romani cuisine.[9]
