Eid Mubarak! After the month of Ramadan, particularly a holy month in Islam and people all around the world make a variety of delicious homemade iftar dishes. Bengali individuals cook their own traditional cuisine items according to their culture and geography throughout the Ramadan series. When the most special occasion for Muslims, Eid comes another series of various food starts to pour in. However, in Chittagong and Sylhet, Akhni is considered a traditional dish.
The word “Akhni” comes from the Arabic word “yakhni,” which means “stew.” “Akhni” is a Bengali mixed rice dish that originated among the Bengali Muslims of Chittagong and Sylhet in eastern Bangladesh, and is comparable to Pulao. As a result, it’s frequently mistaken for a certain type of biryani or pulao.
Akhni Recipe :
Ingredients:
1. 1 kg Rice
2. 1 kg Meat cut into cubes
3. 1 Cup Ghee
4. 2 Onions Sliced
5. Curry Leaves
6. 2tbsp Garlic minced
7. 1 tbsp Ginger crumbled
8. 1 whole Cinnamon Stick
9. 3 Large Tomatoes sliced finely
10. 2 tsp Salt
11. 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
12. 1 tsp Turmeric
13. 1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
14. 1 tbsp Garam Masala
15. 2 tbsp Unroasted Curry Powder
16. 1 tbsp Cumin Powder
17. 4 Green Chillies
18. 1 Cup Curd
19. Handful of Coriander Leaves
20. 1 tbsp Liquid Soy Sauce Substitute
21. 1 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
22. 1 tbsp Lime Juice
23. 4 Potatoes Peeled and Cut into cubes
24. Saffron Strands soaked in warm water (optional)
Process:
1. Mix the meat with all of the spice powders and set it aside.
2. Blend green chillies, curd, and coriander leaves in a blender.
3. Stir-frying onions in ghee until they’re golden. Add in the curry leaves, cinnamon, ginger, and garlic after that.
4. While it’s cooking, add the tomatoes and mash them thoroughly. This helps in the release and absorption of all flavors.
5. Add the marinated meat and cook for 10 minutes on high. If it appears to be dry, add a teaspoon of ghee. Add the liquid soy sauce, tamarind, and lime juice.
6. Pour in the curd mixture that has been blended.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the potatoes and water. Allow at least 30 minutes for this to cook.
8. Prepare the rice while the meat is cooking. Allow 30 minutes to soak after a thorough cleaning. If you’re using a pressure cooker, three whistles should suffice.
9. Pour in the clean rice. Later, mix in the cooked meat and gravy with the rice.
10. Downpour saffron water over everything and stir lightly to mix.
11. Check the water level, but don’t add it right away because the meat will release more water as it cooks. Only add if necessary. Finally, add the remaining ghee and cover until done.
12. After plating, garnish with a handful of coriander leaves and fried onions.
However, the dish is particularly popular in Bangladeshi restaurants and among Bangladeshi diasporic communities worldwide. The meal is a delicacy in Chittagong, where the average Chittagonian is used to have it once a week. Moreover, the dish is also popular at iftar and special occasion like Eid.
