Nihari Recipe (Pakistani Beef Stew) Easy and Delicious With Tips

Here's an easy Nihari (Pakistani Beef Stew) recipe that requires 1 pot and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. This recipe includes a stovetop and slow cooker instructions for tender beef shank (or stew).

What is Nihari?

Nihari is a rich, slow-cooked meat stew flavored with spices and thickened with atta, or Pakistani and Indian-style whole durum wheat flour. Pakistani versions of nihari are usually made with beef, but nihari can be made with mutton, goat, or chicken.

The word "nihari" comes from the Arabic root "nahar" which means "day" or "morning". This dish is called Nihari because it was originally eaten in the morning. History suggests that it started in Old Delhi, where Mughal nawabs and laborers ate it as food throughout the day.

What is Nalli Nihari?

The word "nalli" means pipe or tube, conveying the tubular bones used to make nihari. Nalli Nihari is made from bovine bones (typically humerus or thigh bones) that contain yellow bone marrow. This gives Nihari a rich buttery flavor. Sometimes the bone marrow is removed and added to the nihari.

This recipe doesn't call for bones, but using bone-in or bone-in meat along with the meat improves the flavor (it's more important in the Instant Pot version). If you're using bones, you'll need about 1/3 pound of extra weight in bones.

What Are The Ingredients For Nihari?

Aside from an unapologetically long list of spices, Nihari calls for simple ingredients common to Pakistani cooking:

Atta – Traditionally, atta flour, which is usually used to make rotis, is added to thicken the curry. I highly recommend you use this for an authentic taste.
Substitute: all-purpose flour. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard of many who have. For added complexity, dry roast in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 6-7 minutes. It will take on a deeper golden color.
Spices – This recipe calls for store-bought or homemade nihari masala powder (recipe below!) along with a few other whole and ground spices. As always, if you're missing a seasoning (or three!), don't let that stop you from making it.

What Type Of Meat Can Use For Nihari?

Nihari is typically made from boneless beef thighs, also called beef shins. Halal grocery stores have often referred to it as the Nihari cut. You can also use pre-sliced beef stew, which is essentially boneless beef that comes from the front shoulder (back) or dorsal (round). When the type of meat is listed for the stew, I look for the shoulder as it was more tender to me. Also, try to find good quality beef. The more stained it is, the better.

What is The Nihari Masala?

Since Nihari calls for so many spices, I originally created this recipe using 1/2 tablespoon of pre-made Nihari masala powder. Use too much powder (like the whole pack as per the package) and you end up with nihari that tastes a bit like manufacturing and looks a lot like your Pakistani neighbor's nihari because they used the same powder. Use just a little and it will add extra zest and color to your dish.

Also, I had a lot of questions about using *only* the spice mix. I'm not above using pre-made spice mixes, but I'd rather not use the recommended amounts because it can taste pretty strong. Also, the flavors are more pronounced when you use fresh spices. Note that you will need to adjust the salt/spice level depending on the brand and amount of masala you are using.

Requirements For Homemade Nihari Masla like Muhammadi Nihari?

As always, I prefer to use fresh homemade condiments when I can. It took me a while but I finally created a nihari masala powder that works with this recipe.

Nihari Masala - makes ~1 tbsp all of which you will use
½-1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika powder for color
1 small pod of black cardamom
1 small (1 inch) mace blade (or a piece of mace)
3/4 inch peepli (long pepper)
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (Saunf)
1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon Cumin (Shah Zeera)
1/8 teaspoon Black Nigella (Kalonji) seeds
Pinch of cane sugar

How To Make Nihari?

The key to a great Nihari is intentional depth of flavor. Deeply browned onions, fresh spices infusing the oil, and well-simmered meats... all contribute to the revered flavor of Nihari.

Step 1: Fry the onions and meat. Deeply browned onions (see video instead of picture for reference) add flavor, body and depth to Nihari. As with most stews, it's important to sear the meat to brown it, but not dry it out for too long or it can become tough.
Step 2: Blooming Spices. Add the spices and cook in the hot oil. If you're concerned about burns, you can always add a splash of water.
Step 3: cook. Bring to a boil for the stovetop before reducing the heat to a simmer. For the slow cooker, transfer the mixture to a slow cooker, add water and mix to combine.
Step 4: Thicken. If you try to thicken the sauce by adding flour, you will get lumps. To avoid this, remove some of the nihari liquid (I've always found using water dilutes the flavor) and let it cool. Then stir into the atta flour. Add this slurry to the nihari while stirring to avoid lumps. Let this cook and thicken.

How To Get Oil (Tari) on Nihari Dish

Once a curry is cooked, the fats and oil naturally rise to the top. Usually in nihari, the oil is released after the meat has been cooked and also after the atta has been cooked. Since I don't use as much oil as some traditional recipes, it won't come across as oily like most restaurant nihari.

After cooking, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to allow the oil to rise to the surface. You can also reserve oil before adding the atta, or add a seasoned tarka (tempered oil) to give the nihari its signature layer of oil.

Tips For Making Delicious And Tasty:

Nihari meat should be very tender. It's not even ready cooked, but when it feels practically mashed.
The end result should be like a thick soup or gravy. If it gets too thick, just add water (preferably boiling) to thin it out. Fry again until desired consistency is achieved.
If you're using a slow cooker and the end result is too thin, transfer it to the stovetop to thicken to the consistency you want.
Restaurants often keep very large pieces (about 3-4 inches). Kenji López-Alt notes that large chunks keep the meat more tender. I generally prefer smaller cubes because they're easier to eat and serve than a handful of large chunks.
Variation: For more body and a light flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of yogurt to the atta mixture before adding to the nihari.

Ingredients Quantity:

Whole spices

1/2 piece of small star anise
1-2 small bay leaves
1 inch cinnamon stick

Ground Spices

2-3 whole cloves, crushed into powder with a mortar and pestle
2-3 green cardamom pods, seeds ground into powder with mortar and pestle
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground into a powder with a mortar and pestle
1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon homemade nihari masala (recipe by mail) or less than 1/2 tablespoon store bought

Nihari

1/3 cup canola or other neutral oil
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
1 large onion (250-270 g), thinly sliced
5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
3/4 inch piece ginger, shredded
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (sea salt or table salt), start with 1 1/2 teaspoons if using homemade masala
1/4 cup (35 g) durum atta flour (or dry roasted brown rice flour or sorghum flour for SG)
9 cups water for stovetop, 3 1/2 cups for slow cooker
454 g (1 lb) boneless beef shank, cut into 2-inch cubes or beef stew, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

fittings