Nihari Recipe

Warm Nihari served in a clay bowl with garnish on top.

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5 from 12 votes

Easy and great nihari recipe from scratch.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Hyderabadi, Indian, Pakistani

Keyword nihari recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 20

Servings Servings

Calories 534kcal

Author Mariam Sodawater

Ingredients

⅓ cup oil
1 onion finely sliced
500 grams beef shank see notes
500 grams bones with bone marrow

Spices

3-4 tablespoon Nihari Masala Start with less add more as needed. (the recipe is linked here or buy online)
1 ½ tablespoon ginger paste
1 ½ tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon green chilli paste

other

4-6 water to cook beef, more to thin out gravy.
½ cup wheat flour or more for thicker mixed in 1 cup water.
½ cup plain yogurt whipped

Garnish

2 inch ginger cut thinly in julliene
4 lemon wedges
2 large green chili less spicy one
a handful fresh coriander / cilantro chopped

Instructions

In a large pot and fry sliced onions on low until lightly golden.
Add beef and bones. Fry beef on medium-high heat for 2-3 until color changes and it is slightly golden. Now add all the ingredients in the spice list and stir further for 1 minute.
Now, add 4 cups of water that is enough to cover the beef completely. Bring it to boil then reduce heat to slow and cook for 4 hours or overnight (on very low heat). Make sure the lid is tightly closed. (If using instant pot or pressure cooker, cook time will be 45 minutes.)
Once the meat is tender, remove the bones. Carefully extract the bone marrow from hot bones and aside in bowl. (If using bones with marrow)
Make flour slurry by mixing flour with cold water until smooth. Add flour slurry and whipped yogurt to the beef stew.
Adjust water as needed and bring it to boil. Keep stirring so the flour slurry doesn't form lumps. Once the nihari starts boiling. Reduce heat and let it simmer slowly for 15 minutes until a thick layer of oil rises naturally.
Now add extrated bone marrow to nihari (if using) and serve hot Nihari with garnish and lemon wedges. Fill extra garnish in a plate and serve along nihari.

Video

Notes

Beef Cut: Right beef cut is key to perfect nihari. Use boneless beef from beef shank and bones with bone marrow for best result. Other options are tough stewing beef like chuck and round cuts. Bones are necessary for nihari so make sure you add some bone with or without bone marrow.

Mutton: If you wish to make nihari with lamb or mutton. Use lamb leg cuts and bones with bone marrow. The method remains the same, cooking time will reduce to 1 hour and 20 minutes or less. (Cooking time in the instant pot or pressure cooker is 25 minutes.)

For Gluten-free or Keto Nihari: Substitute wheat flour with almond flour, tapioca flour or cornmeal.

Nutrition