The DailyWhisk

Nihari

Beef nihari with rich glossy gravy, ginger juliennes and lemon wedges in a bowl
Nihari — photographed fresh from our test kitchen.
  • Prep time20 mins
  • Cook time4 hrs
  • Servings6
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CategoryDesi

Nihari was born as an overnight stew, and it still rewards patience like nothing else. Beef shank — bone, marrow and all — simmers for hours until the collagen melts into a gravy so silky it coats the spoon. The spice blend is warm rather than fiery: fennel, dry ginger and long pepper do the talking. Traditionally it is garnished at the table, never in the pot.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg (2.2 lb) beef shank, bone-in pieces
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) oil or ghee
  • 2 large onions, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 tbsp nihari masala (or 2 tbsp coriander, 1 tbsp fennel, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dry ginger, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, all ground)
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 cups (1.4 L) hot water
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour whisked with 1 cup water (slurry)
  • For garnish: ginger juliennes, green chilies, fresh coriander, lemon wedges

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the onions until deep golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove half and reserve for garnish.
  2. Add the ginger-garlic paste to the pot and cook 2 minutes. Add the beef shank and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
  3. Stir in the nihari masala, chili powder and salt, coating the meat well.
  4. Pour in the hot water, bring to a boil, then reduce to the gentlest simmer. Cover and cook 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.
  5. Whisk the flour slurry smooth and stir it into the pot. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the gravy turns silky and coats the back of a spoon.
  6. Rest 15 minutes. Serve in deep bowls topped with ginger juliennes, green chilies, coriander, reserved fried onions and a squeeze of lemon, with khameeri roti or naan.

Tips for success

  • Low and slow is everything — a rolling boil makes the meat tough; a bare simmer makes it silk.
  • The flour slurry goes in only after the meat is tender, or the gravy turns gluey.
  • Nihari tastes even better the next day; the marrow enriches the gravy overnight.

Watch video tutorial

Prefer to watch it being made? This from YouTube walkthrough covers the same nihari step by step — the spoken narration doubles as an audio tutorial.

Watch on YouTube