Yahni facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yakhni

Beef yahnia in North Macedonia
Alternative names	Yahni, yahnia, yakhna, yakhnia, iahnie
Type	stock, broth, or soup

Yakhni (Persian: یخنی, Arabic: يخني, Urdu: یخنی, Hindi: यख़नी, Greek: γιαχνί), also called yahni or yahnia, is a type of dish found in many countries. It is popular from South Asia all the way to the Balkans in Europe.

A Taste of History

Yakhni is a very old dish! It started as a meat stew in ancient Persia. The word "yakhni" comes from a Persian word that means "store of food." This is because it was first cooked in a special covered clay pot.

Over time, this tasty stew traveled far and wide. It spread east to places like Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and South Asia. It also went west to the Ottoman Empire, reaching areas like the Levant (parts of the Middle East) and the Balkans in Europe.

Different Kinds of Yakhni

Yakhni can be made in many ways, depending on where you are!

Yakhni in Iran

In Iranian cuisine, yakhni is a hearty meat stew. It's a bit like another Iranian stew called khoresh. There's also yakhni-polow, which is a pilaf (a rice dish) cooked right in the stew.

Yakhni in the Middle East and Europe

In Arab cuisine (especially in Palestine), Greek cuisine, and Turkish cuisine, yakhni is a stew made with meat, fish, or vegetables. It often starts with browned onions, then adds tomatoes and olive oil. In Bulgarian cuisine, people use sunflower oil instead of olive oil.

Yakhni in Romania

In Romanian cuisine, the term iahnie de fasole means a type of baked beans. This dish is often cooked or served with smoked meat and sausages, like fasole cu cârnați.

Yakhni in South Asia

In Pakistan and India, yakhni is usually a clear stock or broth. It's often used as the base for many other dishes, such as pilaf (also called pulao) and different kinds of soups.

In Bangladesh, a dish called akhni is a mixed rice dish. It's a bit like biryani or polao dishes.

Yakhni in Slovenia

You can even find a version of yakhni served at a Romani restaurant in Slovenia.

Images for kids

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  Plate of Greek food: yakhni at top center, with pork souvlaki below, mousaka (bottom left) and rice pilaf (bottom right)

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  Potato yahnia

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  Veal yahni served with rice

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  Turkish chickpea yahni

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  Romanian bean yahni served with sausages