Nihari

Storing and Planning Ahead

Refrigerate up to 4 days, better on day two, and freeze 3 months.

How to Make Nihari

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1. Toast all the whole masala spices in a dry pan for 90 seconds until fragrant, then grind to a powder with the dried ginger, nutmeg and mace.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

2. Heat the ghee (or neutral oil) in a very heavy pot and fry the onions for 12 minutes until deep golden. Lift half out for the garnish.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook 2 minutes.

   Mark done

4. Add the beef and marrow bones and brown for 10 minutes.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

5. Add the chilli powder, turmeric, salt and two-thirds of the ground masala, and fry 3 minutes.

   Mark done

6. Pour in the hot water, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on the lowest possible heat for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight in a very low oven at 120°C / 248°F. The beef should be falling apart.

   Mark done

7. Lift the meat and bones out. Bring the gravy to a bare simmer and take it off the boil.

   Mark done

8. Whisk the flour and cold water slurry until completely smooth, then pour it into the pot in a thin stream while whisking hard.

   Mark done

9. Return to low heat and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring, until the gravy thickens and turns glossy and a slick of ghee (or neutral oil) rises.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

10. Return the beef, scoop the marrow out of the bones and stir it in, and add the rest of the masala.

    Mark done

11. Serve topped with the reserved fried onions, ginger matchsticks, green chilli, coriander and lime, with naan.

    Mark done

Related guide: Ingredient substitutions.

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A Few Pointers

• Whisk the flour slurry into gravy that is off the boil. Lumps are permanent.
• The overnight cook is traditional and it does show. Four hours is the minimum.
• Stir the marrow in. It is where a lot of the richness comes from.

Behind the Recipe

Nihari is one of very few curries thickened with a flour slurry, and it has to be whisked into hot liquid off the boil or it sets into lumps that never disperse. The marrow bones are not garnish: the marrow melting into the gravy is what gives nihari its particular richness, and it is scooped out and stirred in at the end.

What to Put Next to It

Naan or khameeri roti · Lime and green chilli · Sweet lassi

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the green chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.

Nihari Nutrition

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

Dairy-free when made with neutral oil rather than ghee.

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