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Servings:

Sadia's Nihari

Nihari is a Pakistani stew, richly flavored with spices, cooked long and slow to render fork-tender meat, and topped with ginger, herbs, and citrus. The root of the word, Nahar, means morning in Arabic because the dish was traditionally cooked all night long and eaten during the early and cool waking hours of the morning.

Total Time

45min

5.0

2 Ratings

Author: Maliha Adams

Servings:

Ingredients

Masala - Whole Spices

•

Green Cardamom Pods

•

Black Cardamom

•

1 Tbsp

Cumin Seeds

•

1 Tbsp

Fennel Seeds

•

4 tsp

Whole Coriander Seeds

•

1 tsp

Black Peppercorns

•

as needed

Whole Cloves

•

1/3

Whole Nutmeg

or A Pinch of Ground Nutmeg

•

1/2

Cinnamon Stick

or 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

•

1 pinch

Ground Mace

Masala - Ground Spices

•

2 tsp

Kosher Sea Salt

•

1 tsp

Ground Ginger

•

as needed

Cayenne Pepper

Nihari

•

4 Tbsp

Canola Oil

or Other Neutral Oil

•

Medium Yellow Onions , thinly sliced

or Red Onion

•

2 tsp

Garlic Paste

•

2 tsp

Ginger Paste

•

2 lb

Eye of Round Beef Roasts

•

7 cups

Water

•

2 Tbsp

All-Purpose Flour

or Atta

Garnishes

•

1 bunch

Fresh Cilantro , roughly chopped

•

Green Chili Peppers , thinly sliced

(optional)

•

1 in

Fresh Ginger , peeled, julienned

•

Limes , quartered

•

to taste

Naans

Cooking Instructions

Grind Green Cardamom Pods (5) , Black Cardamom (3) , Cumin Seeds (1 Tbsp) , Fennel Seeds (1 Tbsp) , Whole Coriander Seeds (4 tsp) , Black Peppercorns (1 tsp) , Whole Cloves (as needed) , Whole Nutmeg (1/3) , Cinnamon Stick (1/2) , and Ground Mace (1 pinch) using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Add to a small bowl.

Add Kosher Sea Salt (2 tsp) , Ground Ginger (1 tsp) , and Cayenne Pepper (as needed) to the same small bowl. Set aside.

Add Canola Oil (4 Tbsp) to a deep soup pot, and heat over medium-high until oil shimmers. About 1 minute.

Add the Yellow Onions (2) to the pot, and sauteé until evenly browned. About 10 minutes.

In the same pot, add Ginger Paste (2 tsp) and Garlic Paste (2 tsp) . Sauteé for 30 seconds.

Add Eye of Round Beef Roasts (2 lb) and a little more oil if the pot seems dry, and stir fry for 5 minutes.

Add the bowl of spices, coating the meat, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add Water (7 cups) , bring to boil. Then, turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook for 3-4 hours, until the meat, is fork-tender.

Take out a cup of the stew liquid, cool for a minute, and stir in All-Purpose Flour (2 Tbsp) , whisking with a fork to form a slurry. Stir back into the pot, allow to cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, until the Nihari has thickened.

10.

Season with salt to taste. Top each bowl with Fresh Cilantro (1 bunch) , Green Chili Peppers (4) , and Fresh Ginger (1 in) . Serve with wedges of Limes (4) and Naans (to taste) .

Author's Notes

Nihari is all about freshly ground, whole spices. Head to your local Indian/Pakistani shop to get your hands on all of them in one fell swoop. if you love recipes from this part of the world, these spices won't grow stale in your cupboard.

Don’t forget the garnishes. They add a tangy, crunchy, herbiness that brightens the meaty masala richness of the stew.

Nutrition Per Serving

CALORIES

609

FAT

25.3 g

PROTEIN

70.3 g

CARBS

21.2 g