Name: Authentic Beef Nihari (Beef Shank Stew)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs beef shank (3-4 inches wide chunks ); 3 cups water; 1 medium onion; ⅓ cup olive oil (extra virgin ); 6 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 4 whole cloves; 4 green cardamom pods; 8 black peppercorns; 2 tsp red chili powder; ¼ tsp garam masala powder; ⅔ cup atta flour ((Don't use all purpose flour)); 3 long peppers (peppli (crushed)); 1 tsp salt; Homemade Nihari Masala ((The quantity is listed in the recipe)); ½ medium onion; ¼ olive oil; 1 stick butter; 1 inch ginger ( julienne cut ); ½ bunch fresh cilantro (finely chopped ); 2 green peppers (finely chopped ); ½ lemon

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Authentic Beef Nihari (Beef Shank Stew) recipe, a safe-guarded staple of my family. This blog post will walk you through the key ingredients and steps that will help you achieve this very balance. Buckle in and take note as we journey through this flavorful recipe!

What is Nihari?
Video
History of Nihari
Key Ingredients
What is Nihari made of?
Which beef cut to use with Nihari?
Tips
How to make Nihari at home?
What to pair Nihari up with?
The Recipe

WHAT IS NIHARI?

Authentic Beef Nihari (Beef Shank Stew)is a South Asian beef stew, and is an unquestionable Pakistani staple revered all over the subcontinent. The rich, brothy dish is a conglomeration of flavorful spices, tender meat, carefully placed cilantro, and a medley of other garnishes. It's typically eaten with naan, and my personal favorite for the choice of meat is beef, though it can also be made with goat, lamb, and, less commonly, with chicken.

VIDEO

HISTORY OF NIHARI

The word Nihari originated from the arabic word Nahaar, which means morning. The dish was eaten by Mughals, and in the early and mid-20th century it was only available in the morning. It's a notoriously heavy dish, so people would eat the dish in the morning so that they could digest it the rest of the day. As we entered the 21st century, Nihari slowly edged its way into becoming an evening time meal. It goes without saying that he was enamored of this dish, but this is simply a testament to the widespread consumption and appreciation for the dish.

KEY INGREDIENTS

These ingredients are cornerstones of this generations-passed Nihari recipe, and, even if you choose to follow a different Nihari recipe (though after tasting this you won't need to!), I encourage you to make sure the recipe includes all of these irreplaceable ingredients. Don't forget to check my 5-Minute Homemade Nihari Masala.

Sonth (ginger powder)- Even though ginger powder doesn't go in a lot of dishes, it's a must-have for Nihari!

Peepli (long pepper) - Peepli gives a unique hotness to the Nihari. Very essential ingredient. without Peepli there isn't authentic Nihari.

Mace(Javitri) and Netmug (Jifael)- They both give that unique taste kick to the Nihari.

WHAT IS NIHARI MADE OF?

Cinnamon Stick
Mace- Javitri
Nutmeg- Jaefil
Black Cardamom
Green Cardamom
Cloves
Cumin Seeds
Caraway seeds- Shahi Zeera
Bay Leaves
Black peppercorns
Fennel Seeds - Sauf
Long dried red pepper
Red chili powder
Salt
Turmeric powder
Dry pomegranate powder- Anardana powder
Dried ginger powder - Sonth

THE FINAL SHOT OF NIHARI BEFORE THE GARNISH

WHICH BEEF CUT IS USED FOR NIHARI?

My family has, for generations, been using beef shank; it's very tender and allows for the quintessential Raysha -- strands of meat must be found for a truly authentic Nihari.

TIPS ON MAKING THE PERFECT NIHARI

Even though every ingredient in this recipe is important, if you don't have the key ones it won't taste perfect.
When making Nihari always boil the water in the Instant Pot before adding the meat. It will help get rid of the smell in the beef.
Don't throw away the water in the Instant Pot, you're going to use the same water when adding the atta.
Crush the peepli before adding to your Nihari.
After adding the atta, bring everything to a boil or your Nihari will taste raw.
Use a handblender to smooth the atta mixture out. Blend it until smooth, there shouldn't be any lumps.
Never ever add coriander powder in the Nihari.
Use my 5-Minute Homemade Nihari Masala.

HOW TO MAKE NIHARI AT HOME?

Boil the water, then add Ginger Garlic Paste, Nihari masala, and shank and pressure it.

Now in a motar & pestle add long pepper (Peppli)

In a pot, add oil let it heat up then add the black peppercorns, green cardamom, and cloves.

Add only the beef shank from the instant pot.

Add Homemade Nihari Masala and red chili powder.

Add the atta to the instant pot which had the stock.

MIXING THE ATTA MIXTURE IN THE POT — Add the stock atta mixture from the instant pot to the pot which had the Nihari.

Now prepare the tempering by heating the oil and browning the onion with butter melted.

Add the tempering mixture to the Nihari.

WHAT TO PAIR NIHARI UP WITH?

Nihari is an ultimate dish on its own. However, Chicken Biryani, Mutton Korma (Qorma), Karahi Gosht go perfectly with Nihari. Don't forget dessert Kheer and Zarda.

LET'S MAKE AUTHENTIC NIHARI!!!

Print Recipe

5 from 11 votes