Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 45 votes

Nihari

Traditionally enjoyed for a weekend brunch, this meltingly-tender lamb nihari has aromatic gravy with well-balanced spice. It is so flavorful and delicious to eat with your naan bread.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
5 mins
Servings: 6 portions
Calories: 1715 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Pakistani

Ingredients

  • 3.5 -4 pounds lamb shanks approximately 3 pieces.
  • 3 medium brown onions finely sliced, and deep fried until golden brown and crispy.
  • 2 tablespoons wholemeal flour/ chapati flour.
  • 8 tablespoons oil for frying.
  • 25 fluid ounces water.
Nihari masala:
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt or according to taste.
  • 2 small pieces of mace.
  • ¼ whole nutmeg crushed.
  • 2 inches/ 5 cm of ginger peeled and chopped.
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
  • 2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds.
  • 2 inches cinnamon stick broken into smaller pieces.
  • 2-3 bay leaves.
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder.
  • 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chilli powder or cayenne pepper.
  • 1 teaspoon red paprika powder.

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare the lamb shanks, wash and dry them. Using a skewer or a fork, pierce the meat all over. This can help the spice and flavour be absorbed better. 
  2. Brown lamb shanks on a skillet/ frying pan with 2 tablespoons oil. Set aside.
  3. Grind the nutmeg, whole fennel seeds, bay leaves, mace, and cinnamon until you get a fine mixture. You can use a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Add the ginger powder, ground black pepper, and salt. Set aside.
  4. Fry the ginger paste in 6 tablespoons of oil for about 20 seconds. Then add Kashmiri red chili powder and paprika powder.
  5. Add the fried onion slices to the spices, followed by the ground spices mixture. Fry for about a minute or until the spices release a delicious aroma. Add about ½ cup of water and stir well.
  6. Place the lamb shanks in the slow cooker/ crockpot bowl. Then, spoon the spice mixture all over the lamb shanks. Spread it as evenly as possible. 
  7. Pour the remaining water into the bowl and set the microwave/ crockpot to high. Cook on high for about an hour, then turn it to low. Leave to cook for 5 hours. If possible, turn the meat halfway through.
  8. Mix the wholemeal flour with 3 tablespoons of water until smooth, and then stir it in the nihari gravy. Put the lid back on and cook further on high for an hour or until you see the gravy is simmering again. 
  9. Serve the nihari with crispy fried onions, sliced ginger, lemon and chopped fresh green chillies. 

Notes

  • To make the grinder work better, cut your mace, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks into small pieces before you grind them. This way, you’ll get a finer mixture easily. 
  • If you want to cook this nihari overnight, or over a longer time such as from morning to evening, you can skip the first hour of cooking it on high. Just set it on low from the beginning. 
  • When cooking on low for a longer time, try to add the flour mixture about 2 hours before your nihari is ready. 
  • You can use cayenne pepper to replace Kashmiri chili powder.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 1715kcal (86%) Carbohydrates 29g (10%) Protein 164g (328%) Fat 100g (154%) Saturated Fat 34g (170%) Polyunsaturated Fat 58g Cholesterol 595mg (198%) Sodium 1050mg (44%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 3g (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6portions

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1715

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 1715kcal 86%
Carbohydrates 29g 10%
Protein 164g 328%
Fat 100g 154%
Saturated Fat 34g 170%
Polyunsaturated Fat 58g 341%
Cholesterol 595mg 198%
Sodium 1050mg 44%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 3g 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.