Beef Nihari نہاری | No box masala recipe by morEwish

 

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? For me its definatly Nihari! I can eat it anytime of the day, it screams comfort food for me, I mean how can it not be? It’s hearty, it’s warm, and it’s an explosion of amazing flavors.

For my non desi readers, Nihari is a slow cooked beef stew with spices, and thickened in the end with flour. Choice of meat plays a very important role in Nihari -  the cut of the meat, the slow cooking and the end result of whole tender pieces of meat that come off the bone at a touch is everything. 

Preferably Bong ka meat (Urdu) is used, I order beef shanks here in US and get it with bones. You can make it with goat, lamb or chicken as well. Best version of Nihari is slow cooked on low heat, so meat get tender and all the spices just enrich the taste of Nihari

Nihari masala is another essential of Nihari, if you have this done right you will achieve that authentic taste. Main ingredient is Sonth (dried ginger) and Saunf (fennel seeds). Then goes some garam masala, just be very careful while adding that, once my nihari while cooking was smelling like biryani just because I went overboard with garam masala.

Now if you face any issue like oil/ghee disappear after you add flour slurry or you just don't prefer thick layer of oil/ghee (tari) on top. After cooking masala and meat just take oil out, if you are making healthy choices, just discard it or use it in any other dish, otherwise pour it later while serving, for traditional tari look.

Last but not least at all, dont forget the garnishes, squeeze of lemon, chopped cilantro, green chilis and sliced ginger and serve it with warm naan and you will be good for a hot, hearty meal! 

Video in Urdu:

Video in English:

Ingredients: 

2 lbs/1kg Beef shanks (bong) plus bones

1/2 - 1 cup ghee

2 tablespoon ginger paste

2 tablespoon garlic paste

3 - 4 tablespoon red chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/3 cup flour (ata)

1 medium onion, chopped

Nihari masala:

1 cinamon stick (dar cheeni)

1 anistar seed (badyan ka phool)

4 -5 cloves (longin)

1 teaspoon black peppercorns (kali mirch)

2 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf)

1 -2 tablespoon dried ginger (sonth)

2 black cardamom (bari elaichi)

3-4 cardamom (choti elaichi)

2/3 bay leaves (taiz patta)

1 long pepper (pepli/fil fil daraz)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (jaifal)

1/2 teaspoon mace (javetri)