{{short description|Memon/Bengali rice dish}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox food | name = Akhni | image = ꠝꠥꠞꠉꠧꠞ ꠀꠈꠘꠤ.jpg | caption = Chicken akhni | region = Chittagong and Sylhet | course = Main dish | served = | main_ingredient = {{plainlist| * Rice, * Bangladeshi spices, * meat, * vegetables (such as carrots and potatoes), * dahi }} | minor_ingredient = {{plainlist| * Nuts, eggs }} | variations = | similar_dish = Biryani, polao | other = }}
'''Akhni''' ({{langx|bn|আখনী}}) is a mixed rice dish with its origins among the Bengali Muslims of Chittagong and Sylhet,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.somoynews.tv/pages/details/94100/%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%90%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF|author=Naznin, Afroza|title=চট্টগ্রামের ঐতিহ্যবাহী গরুর আখনি বিরিয়ানি|language=bn|trans-title=Chittagong's traditional beef akhni biryani}}</ref> in eastern Bangladesh. It is often considered to be a particular variation of biryani or polao. The dish is especially popular in restaurants throughout Bangladesh,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bangla.bdnews24.com/lifestyle/article1439626.bdnews|date=26 Dec 2017|title=আখনি বিরিয়ানি|trans-title=Akhni Biriyani|website=Bdnews24.com}}</ref> as well as among the diaspora across the world. The dish is a staple in Chittagong, where it is said to be consumed every week by the average Chittagonian person.<ref name=ctg /> During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, the dish is popularly eaten at Iftar meals across Sylhet too.<ref>{{cite web|title=সিলেটের ঐতিহ্য আখনি ও পাতলা খিচুড়ি|language=bn|website=Bangladesh Pratidin|date=11 Jun 2016|url=https://www.bd-pratidin.com/last-page/2016/06/12/150507|trans-title=Sylhet's tradition of akhni and soft kichuri}}</ref>
==Etymology== The word 'akhni' is derived from the Arabic term, ''yakhni'', which means stew.<ref name=ctg>{{cite news|url=https://www.banglatribune.com/82047/%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%81-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%9F-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B7|date=28 Feb 2016|title=আখনি বিরিয়ানী একটু সময় সাপেক্ষ!|language=bn|website=Bangla Tribune}}</ref>
==Ingredients== It is made by mixing rice with cooking oil, traditional spices (ginger, garlic, garam masala, tejpata, cumin, onion, salt), ghee, meat (chicken, beef, goat, lamb), fruits and vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peas, plums), chili pepper and sour doi. Occasionally, nuts and eggs may also be added.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://chatgaportal.com/%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%96%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF/|title=চট্টগ্রামের বিখ্যাত আখনি বিরিয়ানি তৈরির রেসিপি|date=10 January 2020|trans-title=Chattogram's famous akhni biryani cooking recipe|website=Chatga Portal|archive-date=27 February 2021|access-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227192941/https://chatgaportal.com/%e0%a6%9a%e0%a6%9f%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%9f%e0%a6%97%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%ae%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b0-%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%96%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%af%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%a4-%e0%a6%86%e0%a6%96%e0%a6%a8%e0%a6%bf/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==See also== *List of rice dishes
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Bangladeshi dishes}}
Category:Bangladeshi rice dishes Category:Bengali cuisine Category:Desi culture Category:Iftar foods