Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Nihari
A stew of beef or mutton shank simmered overnight in the old Mughal way and eaten at dawn after the morning prayer, which gave it its name (from the Arabic “nahar”, morning). It is thickened with a little flour and finished with ginger, lemon and green chillies.
Different technique MediumToo hot for you? Use half the chilli (powder, paste or fresh chillies) and leave out the green chillies.
Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.
This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Nihari. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.
Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Nihari
See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map
The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.
Main ingredient: 1 kg Beef or mutton shank (nalli) on the bone, in large pieces.
Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.
Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.
Nihari: do thisSlice one onion thinly; keep the green chillies for serving.
Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Nihari: do thisFry the onion in ghee until brown. Add ginger garlic paste (non-veg step A).
Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.
Nihari: do thisUse the meat.
Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Nihari: do thisAdd the meat and fry until browned all over.
Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.
Nihari: do thisAdd chilli powder, turmeric and 2–3 spoons of nihari masala.
Keep frying until just before they start browning.
Base step: do not useAdd some water.
Nihari: do thisAdd plenty of water, enough to cover the meat well.
Add salt.
Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.
Nihari: do thisSimmer covered on the lowest heat for 4–6 hours (or overnight). Stir in the flour paste and cook 20 minutes more until thick and silky. Serve topped with ginger, green chillies, coriander and lemon.
Serve: With naan or khamiri roti, for breakfast or a weekend lunch.
For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.
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