From the Mughal court to a pot in the back streets
Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. At 5 a.m., while it is still dark, a line has formed outside a street-corner eatery. A large copper pot (degh) sends up a rich fragrance of spices melded with marrow. Laborers vie to be first to dip their naan in. This is nihari (Nihari / نہاری), Pakistan's pride, a "morning stew curry."
Nihari belongs to the lineage of South Asian spiced cooking, a dish in which beef shank and bones are simmered overnight over low heat with plenty of spices. Its hallmark is a rich gravy thickened by the gelatin and fat of the marrow. At the end it is topped generously with julienned ginger, green chiles, cilantro and lemon juice. It is traditionally eaten with fresh naan. In the mouth, the deep richness of marrow surges from behind layers of spice, followed by the refreshing hit of ginger and lemon. This "coexistence of heaviness and lightness" is the true essence of nihari. Among Pakistan's other long-simmered dishes, haleem, which works wheat and lentils into the meat, differs completely in how the meat falls apart and the porridge-like unity.
The name derives from the Arabic nahar (نهار), meaning "morning." It is said to have been born in the Mughal period in Delhi as a court dish, with cooks tending the pot all night and serving it to royalty after the dawn prayer, which gave it its name. After the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, Muslims who moved from Delhi to Karachi and Lahore brought the nihari tradition with them. This is how nihari took root as a dish loved across Pakistan.
A court stew that originated in Delhi in the Mughal era. The name derives from the Arabic nahar (morning). Beef shank and marrow bones are stewed overnight and served as breakfast. After Pakistan's independence it became a beloved dish in Karachi and Lahore. Dhaka in Bangladesh and Delhi and Lucknow in India also keep their own lines of the dish.
In English there are countless recipe blogs describing it as "Pakistan's national breakfast dish." Even people familiar with Nepali dal bhat or Indian khichdi may never have cooked nihari. This article draws on a thorough survey of English-language methods and food culture. It explains how to reproduce an authentic nihari with ingredients available at an ordinary supermarket, with care from the secrets of the spice blend to the handling of the marrow.
Ingredients (serves 6)
Beef bones are an ingredient not stocked by many ordinary supermarkets. They may be sold at a butcher or wholesale store as soup bones or marrow bones. You can also order marrow bones online or from a butcher. If you can't find them, substitute oxtail (the kind for soup). Oxtail has the advantage of more gelatin and thickens more easily.
This recipe contains wheat (all-purpose flour is used for thickening) and milk (if you use ghee). If you are allergic to wheat, you can substitute rice flour or cornstarch for the thickening flour. Using neutral oil instead of ghee makes it dairy-free. If you have a nut allergy, check that store-bought fried onions contain no nuts.
The heart of nihari is its spice mix. Ready-made "nihari masala" is available at halal shops. But a homemade blend is far more fragrant.
Nihari masala (spice mix)
| Spice | Amount | Role & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ground coriander | 2 tbsp | The base aroma |
| Ground cumin | 1 tbsp | Earthy depth |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp | Color |
| Cayenne pepper | 2 tsp | Heat. Adjust to taste |
| Paprika | 1 tbsp | Red color and sweet aroma |
| Fennel seeds (ground) | 1 tsp | Sweet coolness |
| Black cardamom | 2 pods (seeds crushed) | The most important spice. Smoky, deep aroma |
| Green cardamom | 4 pods (seeds crushed) | Floral aroma |
| Cloves | 4 (ground) | Pungent sweetness |
| Cinnamon stick | 1 (broken up) | Warmth |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp | Sharp heat |
| Nutmeg | 1/4 tsp | Faint sweetness |
| Mace | 1/4 tsp | The outer coat of nutmeg. Without it, double the nutmeg |
| Bay leaves | 2 leaves | Added during the simmer |
Finishing garnishes (the lifeline of nihari)
| Garnish | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ginger | 1 large knob (julienned) | For finishing. Be generous |
| Green chiles | 3–4 (sliced) | Heat to taste |
| Cilantro | 1 handful (coarsely chopped) | The key aroma |
| Lemon | 1 (cut into wedges) | Squeeze over to eat |
| Fried onions | 3 tbsp | Store-bought is fine. For topping |
The deciding aroma of nihari is black cardamom. It is an entirely different plant from green cardamom, with a smoky, almost cured aroma. Look for it at import grocers or specialty spice sellers. Leaving it out halves the nihari character. Be sure to get it.
How to eat nihari and the etiquette
There is a Pakistani way to eat nihari. First squeeze the lemon and turn it through the whole gravy. Next sink the julienned ginger into the gravy to let it settle. Then tear naan, dunk it deeply in the gravy and bring it to your mouth.
Digging out the marrow with a spoon and eating it on naan is the most luxurious bite. It is also said that the true goodness of nihari appears the next day. If you rest it overnight in the refrigerator, the spices and the marrow gelatin become one. Reheated, it has a far deeper taste. We strongly recommend making extra and enjoying it the next day too.
History and culture: from the Mughal court to Pakistan's beloved dish
From a Mughal court dish to a dish loved across the country
The origins of nihari go back to the late Mughal period in the 18th century. In the Delhi court of the time, there was a custom of eating a dish simmered all night over low heat after the early-morning prayer. Nihari is said to have come out of the "night work" of court cooks who finished it by tending the pot through the night.
After the fall of the Mughal Empire, nihari came down from the court to street eateries. Around the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, famous shops that have continued since the 19th century still line the streets.
The Partition of 1947 was a turning point in nihari's history. Muslims who moved from Delhi to Karachi and Lahore (muhajirs) brought nihari-making to their new home. In Karachi especially, the muhajirs' eateries blended with the food culture of Sindh. This is how Karachi-style nihari developed on its own. Karachi's famous nihari shops draw lines from early in the morning.
Three major schools of nihari
In Pakistan and India there are three major schools of nihari.
| School | Characteristics | Representative city |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi style | Restrained spices. Brings the umami of the marrow forward | Delhi |
| Karachi style | Strong spices and plenty of oil. The heat of chile | Karachi |
| Lahore style | Mild with some sweetness. Generous with ghee and refined | Lahore |
The recipe in this article is based on the Karachi style, adjusted to be easy to reproduce with ingredients available at home. To move closer to the Delhi style, halve the cayenne pepper and increase the ghee. Moroccan tagine is also a representative long-simmered dish, but the marrow-derived thickness of nihari is distinctive.
The Friday nihari culture
In Pakistan the custom of eating nihari on Fridays remains strong. It is a tradition connected to the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) in Islam. People start preparing on Thursday night and eat with the family after the early-morning prayer on Friday. This is the traditional way to spend the weekend.
For many families, "Friday nihari" is something special, the equivalent of the Sunday curry for Pakistanis. Just as Egyptian koshari is a staple, in the Islamic world Friday has its own distinctive food traditions.
Variations
Nihari has a rich variety of variations by region and household. After mastering the basic recipe, try them.
Chicken nihari
Use bone-in chicken thighs (cut up) instead of beef. The simmering time can be shortened to 2–3 hours. In Pakistan it ranks next after beef nihari in popularity. Recommended for those who prefer a lighter taste. Gelatin also comes out of the chicken bones, so the thickness is sufficient.
Mutton nihari
The variation Pakistani food lovers call "the best nihari." In Japan, lamb shoulder or lamb shank can substitute. The simmering time is the same 4–5 hours as for beef. The combination of lamb's characteristic flavor and spices is outstanding. Jordanian mansaf is also a Middle Eastern specialty stew made with lamb.
Pressure cooker version
If you are short on time, you can use a pressure cooker. After adding the water in step 4, cook under pressure for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the pressure is released, open the lid and do the flour thickening in step 6. The taste is slightly shallower than the slow simmer, but it still turns out delicious.
Side dishes that go with nihari
Nihari is satisfying on its own. On the Pakistani table it is generally served with the following sides.
- Naan / sheermal: nihari's most authentic partner. Sheermal is a luxurious naan brushed with ghee and baked
- Whole-wheat roti: a whole-wheat flatbread, plainer in taste than naan
- Kachumber: a salad of onion, tomato and cucumber, seasoned with lemon juice and chile
- Raita: yogurt mixed with cucumber and mint. Softens the heat
The culture of using roti, as in Sri Lankan kottu roti, is shared across South Asia. There is also the style of pairing with rice, like Southeast Asian nasi lemak. In Pakistan, too, many households serve basmati rice alongside nihari.
More dishes to cook
- Kabuli Palaw - makes use of ingredients and aromas from the same region.
- Chapli Kebab - another Pakistani meat dish, but cooked flat on a griddle rather than stewed, so you can compare the street-food feel.
- Ilish Bhuna - makes use of ingredients and aromas from the same region.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Is nihari spicy?
It uses plenty of spices, but you can adjust the heat by the amount of chile. Reduce the cayenne to 1 tsp for a milder version. The finishing green chiles can also be omitted. For children, you can leave out all chiles and color it with paprika only.
Q2. I've never eaten bone marrow. Will I be okay?
Marrow has a texture as smooth as butter. It has almost no off-odor. It melts into the gravy as it simmers, so most people eat it without noticing. Scooping out the marrow left inside the bones with a spoon is considered the highest luxury in Pakistan.
Q3. Can I make it without simmering overnight?
Yes, this article gives a 4–5 hour recipe. In a pressure cooker it can be shortened to 1.5–2 hours. The longer you simmer, though, the more marrow gelatin dissolves and the better the spices blend. If you can, we recommend a long simmer.
Q4. Is it good the next day?
Rather, it is better the next day. Resting overnight in the refrigerator lets the spices blend completely. The gelatin sets and the gravy also gains in thickness. When reheating, loosen with a little hot water and warm until just before boiling. Eat within 3 days. It keeps for 1 month frozen.
Q5. Can I use store-bought nihari masala?
Of course. Packaged nihari masala is sold at halal shops and online. When you use a store-bought mix, skip the spice mix step and follow the amounts on the package. A homemade blend, however, is fresher in its spices and far more fragrant.
Conclusion
Nihari is a "morning stew curry" born in the Mughal court. It grew into Pakistan's beloved dish in the back streets. Stewing beef shank and marrow for hours takes effort. What you get for it, however, is a dish unlike any other curry, delicious to the marrow of the bone.
The method is simple. The basic idea is "put the ingredients in a pot and simmer." There are no difficult techniques. All you need is good beef bones, good spices and time. Put the pot on the night before a holiday, and the next morning eat it with plenty of lemon and ginger. Please experience, in your own kitchen, the happiness that people in Pakistan have preserved across generations.
If Indian khichdi is a gentle, comforting dish, nihari is a powerful dish that warms you to the core. Please try it on this occasion, together with biryani, the other of South Asia's two great spiced dishes. You will feel the depth of South Asian food culture.
Sources
- Collingham, Lizzie. Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors. Oxford University Press, 2006.
- Usmani, Sumayya. Summers Under the Tamarind Tree. Frances Lincoln, 2016.
- Helou, Anissa. Feast: Food of the Islamic World. Ecco, 2018.
- Husain, Shehzad. The Complete Book of Pakistani Cooking. Southwater, 2009.
