Yahni

{{Short description|Broth or stew}} {{Infobox prepared food | name = Yakhni | image = Прилепска јанија - лута јавнија (cropped).jpg | caption = Beef yahnia in North Macedonia | alternate_name = Yahni, yahnia, jahni, yakhna, yakhnia, iahnie | country = | region = | creator = | course = | type = stock, broth, or soup | served = | main_ingredient = lamb meat or mutton meat | variations = | calories = | other = }} '''Yakhni''' ({{langx|fa|یخنی }},<ref name="Steingass">{{cite book | title = Persian-English Dictionary | author = Francis Joseph Steingass | publisher = Routledge | year = 2018 | orig-year = 1892 | isbn = 9781136852480 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=c3l0DwAAQBAJ&q=yakhni&pg=PA1529 | page = 1529}}</ref> {{langx|ar|يخني}}, {{langx|ur|یخنی}}, {{langx|hi|यख़नी}}, {{langx|el|γιαχνί}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek|url=https://www.greek-language.gr/greekLang/modern_greek/tools/lexica/triantafyllides/search.html?lq=%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%87%CE%BD%CE%AF&dq=|access-date=2021-01-12|website=www.greek-language.gr}}</ref>), '''yahni''' (Turkish<ref name="Davidson2014">{{cite book | author = Alan Davidson | title = The Oxford Companion to Food | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA117 | date=11 August 2014 | publisher=Oxford University Press | isbn=978-0-19-967733-7 | page=117}}</ref>), or '''yahniya''' ({{langx|bg|яхния}}, Serbian, {{langx|mk|јанија}}), '''jahni''' (Albanian<ref>{{Cite web |last=Osmani |first=Shqipe |date=2024-06-06 |title=Jahnia e traditës e shëndetshme e shije në tryezë |url=https://kosovapost.net/jahnia-e-tradites-e-shendetshme-e-shije-ne-tryeze/ |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=Kosovapost.net |language=sq}}</ref>), '''iahnie''' (Romanian) is a class of dishes traditionally prepared in a vast area encompassing South Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans.<ref name="Marks">{{cite book | last = Marks | first = Gil | author-link1 = Gil Marks | title = Encyclopedia of Jewish Food | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&lpg=PA1&pg=PT1929 | year = 2010 | publisher = John Wiley & Sons | access-date = 8 February 2026 | chapter = Yakhna | location = Hoboken | isbn = 978-0-470-39130-3 }}</ref> Generally, it is a stew of meat and vegetables.<ref name="oxford2014" />

== History == A meat stew named ''yakhni'' originated as a Medieval Iranian cuisine. The name derives from the covered clay pot in which it was originally cooked.<ref name="Marks" /> The meaning of the Persian word is "store of food".<ref name="Marks" /><ref name="Steingass" /> Different varieties of this dish later spread eastwards to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and much later to South Asia and westwards to the Ottoman Empire reaching the Levant, Egypt, Libya, and the Balkans.<ref name="Marks" />

==Etymology==

{{Wiktionary|yakhni|یخنی}}

The word ''yakhni'' ({{langx|ota|یخنی}}) was borrowed into Ottoman Turkish from Farsi.<ref> {{cite web |author1=Sevan Nisanyan |author1-link=Sevan Nisanyan |title=yahni |url=https://www.nisanyansozluk.com/kelime/yahni |website=Nişanyan Sözlük |access-date=8 February 2026 |language=tr}} </ref> Lexicographer James Redhouse defined the word in his 1890 English-Ottoman Turkish as a "stew of fish or meat".<ref> {{cite book |last1=Redhouse |first1=Sir James William |title=A Turkish and English Lexicon: Shewing in English the Significations of the Turkish Terms |date=1890 |publisher=American mission |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mms7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA2199 |access-date=8 February 2026 |language=en}} </ref> The Arabic ''yakhni'' ({{langx|ar|يخني}}) was loaned from Turkish.<ref name="asadi1981"> {{cite book |author1=Khayr al-Din al-Asadi |author1-link=Khayr al-Din al-Asadi |title=موسوعة حلب المقارنة |date=1981 |page=3106 |url=https://archive.org/details/20191220_20191220_1403/page/n3105/mode/2up |access-date=8 Feb 2026 |language=Arabic |trans-title=Comparative Encyclopedia of Aleppo |quote=يَخْنِي: من التركية عن الفارسية: يَخني: الطبيخ، الخضار اليابسة تطبخ مع اللحم، نوع من طعام اللحوم، طعام خزين. ويغلب أن يطبخوه من البصل والحمّص ولحم الدجاج والبندورة. |trans-quote=Yakhni: From Turkish, which in turn comes from Persian: Yakhni: a stew, dried vegetables cooked with meat, a type of meat dish, a preserved food. It is often cooked with onions, chickpeas, chicken, and tomatoes. |volume=7}} </ref><ref name="oxford2014"> {{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Alan |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-967733-7 |page=33 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Oxford_Companion_to_Food/RL6LAwAAQBAJ?gbpv=1&pg=PA33 |access-date=8 February 2026 |language=en}} </ref>

== Varieties == {{ref improve|section|date=March 2013}} In Iranian cuisine, ''yakhni'' is a meat stew akin to khoresh, while ''yakhni-polow'' is a pilaf cooked in a stew.<ref name="Marks" />

In Arab, Albanian, Greek, and Turkish cuisines, it is a stew of meat, fish, or vegetables in a browned-onion base with tomatoes and olive oil.<ref name="Marks" /> Garlic and spices are a common addition in some cuisines.<ref name="salloum2005" /><ref name="Marks" /> In Bulgarian cuisine and Romanian cuisine, sunflower oil is used instead of olive oil.

In the Arab World, yakhni typically accompanies rice or bulgur.<ref> {{cite news |title=طريقة عمل اليخني المصري.. باللحم وبالدجاج |url=https://al-ain.com/article/egyptian-goulash-recipe |access-date=8 February 2026 |work=Al-Ain News |date=18 August 2021 |language=ar |trans-title=How to make Egyptian yakhni}} </ref><ref> {{cite news |title=طريقة عمل يخنة اللحمة |url=https://www.youm7.com/3102086 |access-date=8 February 2026 |work=Youm7 |date=14 February 2017 |language=ar |trans-title=How to make meat yakhni}} </ref><ref name="salloum2005"> {{cite book |last1=Salloum |first1=Habeeb |last2=Center |first2=University of Regina Canadian Plains Research |author1-link=Habeeb Salloum |title=Arab Cooking on a Saskatchewan Homestead: Recipes and Recollections |date=2005 |publisher=University of Regina Press |isbn=978-0-88977-182-6 |page=220 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Arab_Cooking_on_a_Saskatchewan_Homestead/iqHPLBxNA4kC?gbpv=1&pg=PA220 |access-date=8 February 2026 |language=en}} </ref> Gazan yakhni is traditionally served with maftoul.<ref name="haddad2016"> {{cite book |last1=El-Haddad |first1=Laila M. |last2=Schmitt |first2=Maggie |author1-link=Laila el-Haddad |title=The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey |date=2016 |publisher=Just World Books |isbn=978-1-68257-008-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nMy3jwEACAAJ |access-date=8 February 2026 |language=en}} </ref>

In the northern Indian subcontinent, ''yakhni'' refers to stock or broth of beef, chicken, lamb or mutton.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jamil |first=Tressa |date=2021-12-29 |title=Yakhni (Bone Broth) |url=https://jamilghar.com/goat-yakhni/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Jamil Ghar |language=en-US}}</ref> It is touted for its health benefits<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yasin |first=Aamir |date=2014-12-22 |title=Chicken Yakhni — a nutritious winter tradition |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1152400 |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> and is often the base for many foods including pulao<ref>{{cite news |title=Chicken Yakhni Pulao (Pakistani Chicken and Rice) Recipe |url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025947-chicken-yakhni-pulao-pakistani-chicken-and-rice |access-date=8 February 2026 |work=NYT Cooking |date=June 26, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jamil |first=Tressa |date=2022-11-07 |title=Yakhni Pulao |url=https://jamilghar.com/yakhni-pulao/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=Jamil Ghar |language=en-US}}</ref> (a pilaf) and other shorbas (soups).{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} In Kashmiri cuisine, yakhni is a light, yogurt-based meat dish, usually made with mutton or chicken. Flavored with fennel, ginger, and cardamom. It is commonly served with rice.<ref name="NDTV2018">{{cite news |title=Yakhni: Kashmiri Cuisine's Famous Slow-Cooked Dish Introduced by the Moghuls |url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/yakhni-kashmiri-cuisine-s-famous-slow-cooked-dish-introduced-by-the-moghuls-1738756 |access-date=8 February 2026 |work=NDTV Food |date=April 30, 2018}}</ref>

In Bangladesh, akhni is a mixed rice dish and variant of the biryani and polao dishes.

A version of the dish is also part of the Romani cuisine.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/05/16/311894460/introducing-roma-cuisine-the-little-known-soul-food-of-europe?t=1620642542847|title= Introducing Roma Cuisine, The Little-Known 'Soul Food' Of Europe|website= NPR|date= 16 May 2014|access-date=May 10, 2021|last1= Sullivan|first1= Meghan Collins}}</ref>

In Romanian cuisine, the term ''iahnie de fasole'' refers to a style of baked beans, often cooked or served with smoked meat and sausages (fasole cu cârnați).

''Fasoulia yakhni'' is a stew of olive oil, green beans, tomatoes, and onions that may contain meat, it is common in the Balkans and the middle east,<ref name="Marks" />{{rp|Fasoulia}}<ref>{{cite news |title=الفاصوليا الخضراء... بين «المسلوقة» و«المقلية» |url=https://aawsat.com/%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82/%D9%85%D8%B0%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AA/4759486-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%B6%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%C2%AB%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%88%D9%82%D8%A9%C2%BB-%D9%88%C2%AB%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9%C2%BB |access-date=13 March 2026 |work=Asharq Al-Awsat |date=2023 |language=ar |trans-title=Green beans... between "boiled" and "fried"}}</ref> Lebanese ''fasoulia'' yakhni is made with white beans.<ref>{{cite news |title=Weeknights made easy: Lina Jebeile's slow-cooker lamb and white bean stew - ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-21/lina-jebeile-slow-cooker-lamb-white-bean-stew-yakhnet-fasoulia/102725832 |access-date=13 March 2026 |work=www.abc.net.au |date=21 August 2023 |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=يخنة الفاصوليا باللحم على الطّريقة اللبنانيّة (صور) |url=https://www.annahar.com/lifestyle/cooking/170586/%D9%8A%D8%AE%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%85-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1 |access-date=13 March 2026 |work=An-Nahar |date=2023 |language=ar |trans-title=Fasoula yakhni with meat, Lebanese style (photos)}}</ref>

{{gallery |mode=packed |height=140 |File:Greek foods.jpg|Plate of Greek food: yakhni at top center, with pork souvlaki below, mousaka (bottom left) and rice pilaf (bottom right) |File:Yakhni from kashmir.jpg|Yakhni from kashmir |File:Јанија.jpg|Potato yahnia |File:Dana yahni.jpg|Veal yahni served with rice |File:Nohut yahnisi (etsiz).jpg|Turkish chickpea yahni |File:Iahnie de fasole cu carnati.jpg|Romanian bean yahni served with sausages |File:فاصوليا بالبطاطس هى اكلة شعبية مصرية تحتوى على طماطم وفاصوليا وبطاطس ويمكن اضافة قطع من اللحم بها.JPG|Egyptian ''fasoulia'' yakhni with meat and potatoes. }}

==References== {{reflist}}

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Category:Central Asian cuisine Category:Afghan cuisine Category:Azerbaijani cuisine Category:Bulgarian cuisine Category:Greek cuisine Category:Indian cuisine Category:Iranian stews Category:Kashmiri cuisine Category:Lebanese cuisine Category:Mizrahi Jewish cuisine Category:Macedonian cuisine Category:Ottoman cuisine Category:Romanian cuisine