Nihari
Nihari takes its name from the Arabic word for morning — nahar — because this was traditionally a dish eaten at dawn, after fajr prayers, by the workers and nawabs of Mughal Delhi. As the Mughal capital declined, the dish migrated with Delhi's cooks to Lucknow and later to Karachi and Lahore, where it became deeply embedded in Pakistani food culture. The slow simmer transforms the beef shank over three to four hours, dissolving the collagen into the broth and softening the meat to the point where it separates with a spoon. The flour slurry added toward the end is essential — it binds the fat and gelatin into a thick, glossy gravy rather than an oily broth. The marrow is scooped from the bones directly at the table.
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Slow simmered
Low and slow cooking
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 1 kg bone-in beef shanks, cut into 5 cm pieces
- 2 marrow bones, each about 5 cm long
- 4 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
- 2 large onions (~300 g), thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1.5 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nihari masala or garam masala
- 3 tbsp plain flour mixed with 100 ml cold water
- 5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned, to serve
- 1 lemon cut into wedges and a handful of fresh coriander leaves, to serve
How to make it
- 1Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and fry the onions for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- 2Add the remaining ghee, raise the heat to high, and sear the beef shanks and marrow bones in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until browned, then set aside.
- 3Reduce heat to medium, add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then add the chilli powder, coriander, and turmeric and stir for 30 seconds.
- 4Return the meat and fried onions to the pot, add the salt and enough water to cover by 5 cm (about 1.2 litres), bring to a boil and skim any foam.
- 5Reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and simmer for 3–4 hours until the beef is completely tender and falling from the bone.
- 6Stir in the nihari masala, pour in the flour slurry in a thin stream while stirring, and simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes until the broth thickens to a glossy consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
- 7Ladle into bowls, top with julienned ginger, coriander leaves, and a squeeze of lemon, and serve with naan or crusty bread.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
