Pakistan's most celebrated slow stew — beef shank braised overnight until the collagen melts into a thick, deeply spiced gravy. Lahore's Sunday morning institution.
Nihari (from the Arabic 'nahar', meaning morning/daytime) is one of the great dishes of South Asian Muslim cooking — a slow-cooked beef shank stew that was originally prepared overnight in sealed clay pots (dum cooking) and sold in Old Delhi and Lahore at dawn, consumed after the Fajr (morning) prayer. After the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, the dish travelled to Lahore and Karachi and became deeply embedded in Pakistani culinary culture, where it is now eaten every Friday and Sunday morning with naan or kulcha. The spice blend — nihari masala — includes whole cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves, star anise, dried ginger and nutmeg, producing a flavour that is simultaneously earthy, floral and warming. The finishing garnishes — thin ginger julienne, fresh green chilli, lemon, cilantro and a drizzle of ghee — are non-negotiable.
Serves 6
Fry sliced onions in ghee over medium heat 20 min, stirring, until deep golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the ghee in the pot.
In the same ghee, brown beef shanks in batches over high heat 4 min per side.
Add ginger paste and garlic paste to the pot. Stir 1 min. Add nihari masala, red chilli, turmeric and half the fried onions. Stir 2 min.
Return all beef. Add water. Bring to a boil, skim foam. Reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer. Cover and cook 3–4 hours until the meat is falling off the bone and the broth is deeply flavoured.
Authentic nihari simmers overnight. Even 3 hours gives dramatically better results than quick-cooking.
Mix flour with 4 tbsp cold water into a smooth slurry. Stir into the braise. Simmer uncovered 15 min — the sauce should thicken to coat the back of a spoon.
Ladle into deep bowls. Top with remaining golden onions, ginger julienne, sliced green chilli and cilantro. Drizzle ghee over the top. Serve with a lemon wedge and naan or kulcha bread.
Bone-in beef shank is essential — the marrow melts into the broth during long cooking and is a defining element of nihari.
The atta (flour) thickening is traditional — it gives a characteristically thick, gravy-like consistency different from reduction-thickened stews.
Mutton nihari: use bone-in lamb or mutton — the traditional version outside Pakistan
Add 1 tbsp yogurt stirred in at the end for a tangier, slightly creamier version
Finish with a tempering (tarka) of ghee, cumin and dried red chilli poured over the top
Nihari is considered best on day 2 and 3 as the spices develop. Keeps 5 days refrigerated. Freezes well for 3 months (without garnishes).
Nihari was created in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi's Jama Masjid area in the 18th century as a morning meal for royal workers. After 1947, the dish migrated to Lahore with Muslim families from Delhi and became so embedded in Pakistani culture that every major city has its own nihari street. The Old Delhi Nihari and Lahore Nihari are considered two distinct regional styles.
Yes — pressure cook at full pressure for 45 min, then release. The flavour is less deep than overnight simmering but still excellent. Let the pressure drop naturally — do not force-release or the meat will tighten.
Per serving · 6 servings total
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