🇮🇳 Indian Cuisine

Nihari

Slow-cooked Meat Stew

Prep Time 6 hours

Servings 6

Difficulty hard

Calories 450 kcal

A slow-cooked stew of bone-in meat simmered overnight with a complex spice blend. Originating in Old Delhi Mughal kitchens, nihari was traditionally eaten as a breakfast to sustain laborers through the day.

Ingredients

bone-in beef or lamb shank (1 kg)
onions
ginger-garlic paste
wheat flour (for thickening)
nihari masala (fennel, mace, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns)
Kashmiri red chili powder
turmeric
ghee
salt
ginger julienne
green chilies
lemon
fresh coriander

Instructions

1 Heat ghee, fry onions until deep brown. Add ginger-garlic paste.
2 Add meat pieces and sear on high heat. Add all spice powders.
3 Add enough water to cover the meat generously. Bring to a boil.
4 Reduce to lowest heat, cover tightly and simmer for 5-6 hours (or overnight).
5 Mix wheat flour with water and stir into the stew to thicken. Simmer 30 more minutes. Serve with garnishes of ginger, green chilies, lemon, and naan.

Did You Know?

Nihari derives its name from the Arabic word nahar meaning morning, as it was traditionally eaten at dawn after overnight cooking.