Nihari is Old Delhi and Old Lahore in a bowl. It was traditionally cooked overnight in sealed clay pots buried in embers, so the labourers of the walled city could break their fast at dawn with something rich enough to power a full day of work.
You don't need embers. You need a heavy pot, five patient hours, and a well-stocked spice drawer. What comes out is beef so tender it collapses under a spoon, in a mahogany gravy thickened not with cream, but with a slurry of roasted wheat flour.
Serve it on a Sunday. Have naan. Have lots of sliced ginger, green chillies and lemon on the side. Then have a nap.
Why home cooks love this recipe
- The wheat-flour slurry is what gives nihari its signature thick, glossy gravy.
- Whole beef shank with marrow is non-negotiable — that's where the richness comes from.
- Better the next day. Make ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 kg bone-in beef shank (with marrow bones)
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 1 cup oil or ghee
- 3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 tbsp nihari masala (Shan or homemade)
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup atta (whole wheat flour)
- For garnish: julienned ginger, green chillies, coriander, lemon wedges, sliced onions
Method
- Fry onions in oil until dark golden. Remove half, keep for garnish. To the remaining, add ginger-garlic paste, cook 1 minute.
- Add beef, sear on high for 5 minutes until sealed.
- Add nihari masala, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Stir 2 minutes.
- Pour in 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a bare simmer. Cover and cook 4 hours — the meat should be falling off the bone.
- Toast atta in a dry pan until nutty. Mix with 1 cup cold water into a smooth slurry — no lumps.
- Slowly stream slurry into the pot, whisking. Simmer another 20 minutes until gravy thickens and coats a spoon. Adjust seasoning.
- Ladle into bowls. Top with reserved fried onions, ginger, chillies, coriander. Serve with hot naan and lemon.
Chef's tip
Toast the atta until it smells like popcorn before adding water. Raw wheat flour tastes chalky; toasted flour is what gives nihari that unmistakable earthy depth.
If you make this recipe, we'd love to see it — tag @saveur or drop a photo in our reader gallery. Happy cooking.