Nihari

Nihari comes from the Arabic word nahar, meaning morning, and in Old Delhi it was traditionally eaten after the dawn prayer. The dish is said to have been cooked in the Mughal kitchens of the late eighteenth century, and the shops around Jama Masjid and Ballimaran still cook it overnight in sealed degs and sell out within hours of opening.

Bone-in shanks and marrow bones simmer for many hours in a broth spiced with a dedicated nihari masala of fennel, dried ginger, long pepper, mace and nutmeg. Roasted wheat flour thickens it into a silky, glossy gravy, and a slick of spiced ghee floats on top. The meat should fall off the bone at a touch.

It is eaten with khamiri roti or kulcha, garnished at the table with julienned ginger, green chillies, coriander, fried onions and lemon. In homes it is a weekend or Eid breakfast, often cooked the night before. The bone marrow is a prized part, sucked out straight from the bone. It is very rich, so most people eat it slowly, with long breaks for tea.

At a glance

Region	Delhi
Cuisine	Mughlai
Diet	Non-vegetarian
Course	Main course
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	240 minutes
Total time	260 minutes
Serves	6
Spice level	Hot
Difficulty	Hard
Gluten-free	No
Key ingredients	mutton shanks / atta / ghee / nihari masala

Ingredients

For the nihari masala

• 1 tbsp saunf (fennel)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 pippali (long pepper)
• 4 cloves
• 2 black cardamom
• 4 green cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 blade mace
• 1/4 nutmeg
• 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder

For the nihari

• 1 kg mutton shanks (nalli) and bone-in pieces
• 2 marrow bones (optional)
• 1/2 cup ghee
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 cups hot water
• 1/3 cup whole wheat atta mixed with 1 cup water

To garnish

• 2 inch ginger, julienned
• 4 green chillies, sliced
• Chopped coriander
• Fried onions
• Lemon wedges

Method

1. Dry-roast the whole spices for the nihari masala on low for 2 minutes until fragrant. Cool and grind fine with the sonth.
2. Heat ghee in a large heavy pot on medium. Fry the onions for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden. Lift out half and keep for garnish.
3. Add the mutton and marrow bones and sear on medium-high for 8 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry 2 minutes.
4. Add chilli powders, coriander, turmeric, salt and 2 tbsp of the nihari masala. Stir-fry 3 minutes, adding a splash of water if the spices stick.
5. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly (seal the lid with dough if you like) and cook on the lowest heat for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat comes away from the bone easily.
6. Meanwhile, dry-roast the atta in a small pan on low for 5 minutes until it smells nutty and turns light brown, then whisk it into 1 cup water until smooth.
7. Skim off some of the fat from the top of the pot and reserve it. Stir the atta mixture into the nihari and simmer, stirring, for 20 to 25 minutes until silky and thick.
8. Heat the reserved fat with 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp nihari masala and pour over the top before serving. Garnish at the table.

Tips

• Shanks give the gelatinous body nihari is known for; boneless meat will not.
• A pressure cooker cuts the cooking to about 50 minutes, but the slow-cooked version is noticeably silkier.
• Nihari reheats well; it thickens on cooling, so loosen with hot water.

Serve with

Khamiri roti or kulcha, with ginger, green chillies, fried onions and lemon.