Nihari

Name: Nihari
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 385 min
Yield: 6 bowls
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Beef, shank or shin on the bone, cut into large pieces; ask for marrow bones too; 5 tbsp Ghee; 1 large Onion, thinly sliced; 40 g Ginger, half grated, half cut into fine matchsticks to serve; 5 clove Garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp Fennel seeds, toasted and ground; 1 tbsp Chilli powder, Kashmiri type if you have it; 1 tsp Turmeric; 2 tsp Garam masala; 1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground; 4 pod Cardamom, green, cracked; 4 piece Cloves; 1 piece Cinnamon stick; 0.25 tsp Nutmeg, grated; 60 g Wheat flour, wholemeal atta if you have it, toasted dry in a pan until nutty; 2 l Water; 2 tsp Salt; 3 piece Fresh chilli, green, sliced, to serve; 1 handful Coriander, chopped, to serve; 2 piece Lemon, wedges, to serve

نہاری

Slow-cooked beef shank stew in a glossy, flour-thickened gravy, finished with ginger, chilli and lemon.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: نہاری.

Start cooking

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 6 hr
Rest: None
Total: 6 hr 25 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium heat
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Nihari is a shank stew that cooks until the meat gives up and the marrow melts into the gravy. The spicing leans on fennel, ginger, black pepper and a little nutmeg rather than chilli heat. A slurry of toasted wheat flour thickens the liquid to the texture of a thin custard, and a layer of spiced ghee sits on top. This version runs six hours on the lowest flame in a heavy pot, or two hours in a pressure cooker if the morning is already gone. Serve with naan, fresh ginger, green chilli, coriander and lemon.

What you'll need

20 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 20 ready

6 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Beef, shank or shin on the bone, cut into large pieces; ask for marrow bones too1.2 kg
Ghee74 ml
Onion, thinly sliced1 large
Ginger, half grated, half cut into fine matchsticks to serve40 g
Garlic, crushed5 clove
Fennel seeds, toasted and ground30 ml
Chilli powder, Kashmiri type if you have it15 ml
Turmeric4.9 ml
Garam masala9.9 ml
Black pepper, freshly ground4.9 ml
Cardamom, green, cracked4 pod
Cloves4
Cinnamon stick1
Nutmeg, grated1.2 ml
Wheat flour, wholemeal atta if you have it, toasted dry in a pan until nutty60 g
Water2 l
Salt9.9 ml
Fresh chilli, green, sliced, to serve3
Coriander, chopped, to serve1 handful
Lemon, wedges, to serve2

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Melt 3 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy pot. Brown the sliced onion slowly until deep gold, about 15 minutes. Lift out half and keep it for the garnish.
15 min
Step 2
Add the grated ginger and garlic, then all the ground and whole spices except the nutmeg. Stir for a minute until the ghee smells of fennel. Add the beef and turn it in the spices until coated.
5 min
Step 3
Pour in the water and salt. Bring to a boil, skim, then drop to the lowest heat. Cover and cook 5 to 6 hours, until the meat slips off the bone and the marrow has melted into the liquid.
330 min
Tip: In a pressure cooker, 90 minutes at high pressure gets you most of the way. Finish uncovered for the last 20 minutes.
Step 4
Whisk the toasted flour with 250 ml of cold water until smooth. Stir it into the simmering pot in a thin stream. Cook 20 minutes more, stirring now and then, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
20 min
Watch: Add the slurry slowly or you get dumplings instead of gravy.
Step 5
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee in a small pan until it shimmers. Pour it over the stew with the nutmeg and let it sit on top as a glossy layer.
3 min
Step 6
Serve in deep bowls topped with the reserved fried onion, ginger matchsticks, green chilli, coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Naan on the side.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 696 kcal
Protein: 56 g
Carbs: 18.8 g
Fat: 42 g
Saturated fat: 18.8 g
Fibre: 2.2 g
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 1464 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Milk

Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Beef shank → Lamb or mutton shank
Lamb nihari is common in Lahore. Cook time drops to around 3 hours.
Toasted wholemeal flour → Plain flour or chickpea flour
Chickpea flour makes it gluten-free; the gravy is a shade grainier.

Tips

Shank is the right cut. Chuck works, but the gravy will miss the body that comes from collagen and marrow.
Nihari improves overnight. Shops add fresh stew to yesterday's pot and call the old gravy taar.
Taste the salt only after the flour goes in; the gravy tightens and the seasoning reads stronger.

History & culture

Nihari is breakfast in Karachi and Lahore, eaten early from huge pots that cooked overnight. Shops sell it by the bowl with bone marrow on request. At home it is Sunday food or Eid food, shared across a table of flatbread.

The name comes from nahar, Arabic for morning. The dish is usually traced to Mughal Delhi and Lucknow in the late 18th century. After Partition, migrants carried it to Karachi, where it became one of the city's defining plates. Old Delhi still has shops that claim the original.

Traditional — Nihari shops use a dedicated masala blend ground in-house. The spice list here is a home approximation; a shop-bought nihari masala packet is a fair shortcut.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Nihari take?

6 hr 25 min all in — 25 min prep, 6 hr cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 6 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Medium heat.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Nut-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Chef's knife, Saucepan.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Beef shank → Lamb or mutton shank. Lamb nihari is common in Lahore. Cook time drops to around 3 hours. Toasted wholemeal flour → Plain flour or chickpea flour. Chickpea flour makes it gluten-free; the gravy is a shade grainier.

What should I watch for?

Add the slurry slowly or you get dumplings instead of gravy.

Any tips from this recipe?

Shank is the right cut. Chuck works, but the gravy will miss the body that comes from collagen and marrow. Nihari improves overnight. Shops add fresh stew to yesterday's pot and call the old gravy taar. Taste the salt only after the flour goes in; the gravy tightens and the seasoning reads stronger.

Can I prepare this ahead?

Nihari improves overnight. Shops add fresh stew to yesterday's pot and call the old gravy taar.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.