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Chicken Nihari recipe
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4.93 from 14 votes

Chicken Nihari Recipe

Give your family a spicy curry treat. Serve with lots of lemon juice and ginger.
Course Dinner Recipes
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Keyword Chicken Nihari Recipe
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 446kcal

Ingredients

  • cup oil
  • ½ cup chopped onion About 1 medium
  • tablespoon Nihari Masala or more to taste. Here's my recipe or get ready-made spice mix)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • ½ tablespoon green chilli paste
  • 500 grams skinless chicken cut into pieces
  • 2 cups water divided
  • ¼ cup wheat flour
  • ½ cup plain yogurt whipped
  • 2 tablespoon ghee or butter
  • ½ teaspoon chilli powder or less

Garnish

  • 1 inch ginger cut in julienne
  • Fresh coriander finely chopped
  • 4 lemon wedges

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a pot and add chopped onion. Stir and cover the lid. Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat until lightly golden.
  • Now, add Nihari spice mix, ginger garlic paste, and green chili paste. Give it a stir and then add chicken. Fry for 5 minutes until the color of the chicken changes.
  • Then add 1 cup water. Mix well to remove any masala sticking on the bottom and sides of the pot. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  • In another pan, roast wheat flour for 1-2 minutes on medium heat until fragrant. Transfer flour to a bowl. Add 1 cup water to wheat flour and mix well. Make a smooth paste with batter-like consistency.
  • Add wheat paste and yogurt to the chicken pot and mix well.
  • Mix in 1 cup water and cover the pot again. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes on very low heat until a layer of oil is visible on the top.

To serve

  • Heat butter or ghee on a pan and add chili powder.
  • Simultaneously fill Nihari in a serving bowl, garnish with ginger and coriander leaves. Pour heated butter the garnish and serve with lemon wedges.

Video

Notes

  1. Try to make Nihari 4-6 hours ahead and let it sit for several hours for enhanced flavors.
  2. You can substitute my Nihari masala with store-bought Nihari Masala to save time. Add more masala if needed.
    If you make Nihari frequently, I suggest double or triple the recipe and making a big jar of spice mix, and store in the fridge or freezer. This stays good for up to a year.
  3. Nihari tends to thicken as it sits longer. So add a few tablespoons of water when reheating. The thick flour-based curry is promoted to burn easily if reheated on high heat.

Nutrition

Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 382mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg