Yakhni — Kashmiri Yoghurt-Braised Lamb (یخنی)

Kashmir Valley — one of the oldest preparations of Kashmiri Wazwan; the name derives from the Persian 'yakhni' meaning broth

Yakhni is a Kashmiri technique of braising lamb shanks or bone-in pieces in a yoghurt-based sauce stabilised with fried onions and whole spices. Unlike the rogan josh tradition, yakhni is pale — the colour comes only from the yoghurt and no red chillies are used. The yoghurt must be stabilised before adding to the hot pot to prevent splitting: it is whisked smooth with a little flour or cornstarch, then added to the pot off the heat and stirred continuously as the heat rises again. The result is a silky, white, aromatic braise fundamentally different from any tomato or chilli-based curry.

• The stabilised-yoghurt braise parallels the Turkish tas kebabı and the Greek stifado in technique, though the Kashmiri spice palette is entirely distinct.

Served with steamed seeraga samba rice or alongside the Wazwan feast. A simple preparation that demands quality lamb — the pale sauce shows everything.