An intensely rich, slow-simmered beef stew cooked overnight with a complex spice blend, served with a pool of fragrant bone marrow oil on top.
Instructions
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1
Heat ghee, brown beef shanks on all sides. Remove.
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2
Fry onions until deep golden. Add ginger-garlic paste, cook 2 min.
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3
Add turmeric, chilli powder, and nihari masala. Stir well.
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4
Return beef, add water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to lowest simmer.
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5
Cook covered for 6-8 hours (or overnight) until beef is fall-apart tender.
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6
Mix wheat flour with water, stir into stew to thicken. Simmer 15 min. Serve with naan.
Did You Know?
Traditional nihari cooks start at midnight so the stew is ready for the morning prayer — the name comes from the Arabic word "nahar" meaning morning.
The Story Behind Nihari
Nihari arrived in Bengal with Mughal courts and became deeply embedded in Dhaka's old town food culture. The overnight cooking tradition was originally practical — cooks started before dawn for the morning meal. Puran Dhaka (Old Dhaka) remains famous for its nihari shops, some operating continuously for over a century.
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