• Firstly, clean and soak the long grain basmati rice for at least 30 minutes.
• Also, soak a pinch of saffron in ¼ cup of milk.

Making Yakhni (Mutton Stock)

• First, take a clean muslin cloth, add all the ingredients for bouquet garnii.
• Now, tie it well with the string to secure all the whole spices into it to form a potli .
• Put cleaned and washed mutton pieces in a pressure cooker along with the prepared potli and 7 cups of water. Add some salt, put it on the heat and bring it to a boil.
• Once the it starts boiling, pressure cook until the mutton is just done. Do not over - cook it.
• Now, once the mutton is done, allow it to release the pressure to its own.
• Gently, separate the mutton pieces and the stock. Also, squeeze the potli very well in to the stock to extract all the flavours of spices. Discard the potli.

Making Yakhni Pulao

• Heat ghee (or oil) in handi or pan.
• Once the ghee is hot, add bay leaves and fry for few seconds. Add sliced onions and fry until they start picking up golden color.
• Add green chilies slit and fry for another few seconds.
• Then, add boiled mutton and gently sauté it on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
• Add salt and whisked yoghurt and mix. Cook for a minute.
• Now, drain the water from the rice. Add rice and mix gently.
• Then add, the yakhni (mutton stock) counting to the exact 6 ½ cups. If the Yakhni is less in amount then add some water along with yakhni but it should be 6 ½ cups in total. For the reason that we are adding a cup of curd, it will also add the liquid to the rice, so we are adding 6& ½ cups of yakhni stock only.
• Add garam masala powder, lemon juice, kewra essence/water and mix, bring it to a boil.
• Allow it to cook on high heat until 90% water dries up.
• Now, pour the saffron soaked milk over the rice. Cover the pot with foil and put it on Dum for 15 minutes.
• The Lucknowi Mutton yakhni pulao is ready. Garnish it with birista (golden fried onions) and serve with raita, yogurt or salad of your choice.