Name: Kashmiri Nadru Yakhni
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Lotus Root, nadru/kamal kakdi, peeled and cut into diagonal slices; 1 cup Indian-Style Yogurt, thick yogurt, heavily whisked until completely smooth; ¾ tsp Fennel Powder, saunf powder, the primary flavor of Kashmiri food; ¼ tsp Ground Dried Ginger, saunth; ¼ tsp Ground Cardamom, green elaichi; 1 Black Cardamom, crushed slightly; ½ inch Cinnamon Sticks; 1½ Cloves; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds, shah jeera (caraway seeds) preferred; 1 tbsp Mustard Oil, or ghee; 1 cup Water, divided (for boiling and gravy); ½ tsp Salt, to taste

1 hrtotal

45 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

Add to your week

Method

In a pan, boil the lotus stem (nadru) slices in a portion of the water with a tiny pinch of salt for 10 minutes until they are half-cooked. Drain and set aside.
10 min
In a heavy-bottomed pot, pour the completely smooth, whisked curd. Turn the heat to medium-low. You must stir this continuously and vigorously in one direction until it comes to a full boil to prevent it from curdling.
Once the yogurt boils and stabilizes, add the remaining warm water, fennel powder (saunf), dry ginger powder (saunth), and cardamom powder. Mix well and let it simmer on low heat.
In a separate small pan, prepare the tempering: Heat mustard oil until smoking, then lower the heat. Add black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin seeds. Fry for 10 seconds until aromatic.
10 sec
Pour this spiced hot oil into the simmering yogurt mixture.
Add the boiled lotus stem slices to the yogurt gravy.
Add salt (always add salt to yogurt curries at the very end).
Cover the pot and let the Nadru simmer in the Yakhni (yogurt broth) on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the lotus stem absorbs the flavors and becomes fully tender.
10–15 min
Turn off the heat. Serve warm.

How to tell it's done

A silky, pale white, milky gravy containing slightly crunchy, highly porous lotus stem discs that snap pleasantly when bitten.

Getting it right

Tip

Yakhni is meant to be a thin, velvety white broth. Never use turmeric, red chilli powder, onion, or garlic. The entire flavor profile is constructed purely upon fennel, dry ginger, and whole spices.

What to serve it with

A masterpiece of Kashmiri Pandit cuisine. Serve exclusively with steamed white rice to fully appreciate the delicate flavors.

Paneer Do Pyaza

Paneer do pyaza cooks paneer with onion in two stages, some softened into the gravy and some added late for bite.

40 minvegetarian

Paneer Matar Bhurji

Paneer matar bhurji crumbles paneer with green peas, onion and tomato into a quick dry scramble.

25 minvegetarian

Papad Pyaz Ki Sabzi

Papad pyaz ki sabzi turns roasted papad into a curry, simmered in yoghurt with onion until it softens.

15 minvegetarian

Parsi Kheema Per Eedu

Kheema per eedu is a Parsi dish of spiced minced meat with eggs cracked over the top and cooked until just set.

45 minnon vegetarian

Parsi Sali Boti

Sali boti is a Parsi mutton curry, sweet and sour with jaggery and vinegar, served under a pile of crisp potato straws.

1 hr 35 minnon vegetarian

Parsi Tamota Per Eedu

Tamota per eedu cracks eggs over a bed of cooked tomato and lets them set, the Parsi way with almost anything.

25 mineggetarian

Ingredients