Nihari with naan
The nihari of Old Delhi and Lucknow, breakfast there and a Sunday special at home: goat shanks (nalli) on the bone cooked in ghee with a fragrant nihari masala of fennel, dry ginger and whole spices until the meat almost falls apart, the gravy thickened with atta and topped with ginger, green chillies, lemon and fried onions. At home it is eaten with bought naan warmed on the tawa, or with rotis. The pressure cooker does in an hour what the old handi did overnight; a ready nihari masala works too.
- 1 h 50Time
- 47 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 53 gprotein per portion
- 980kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 1 kgMutton (curry cut), shanks (nalli), in pieces
- 1 tbspFennel seeds
- 1 tspCumin, seeds
- 1 tspBlack pepper, whole peppercorns
- 6Cloves
- 1 gCardamom, 4 pods
- 2Black cardamom pods
- 3 gCinnamon, a 4 cm piece of stick
- 1Star anise
- 1 mlNutmeg, grated
- 1 tspDry ginger powder (sonth)
- 6 tbspGhee
- 2Bay leaves
- 2Onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbspGinger-garlic paste
- 1 tbspKashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tspRed chilli powder
- 1 tbspCoriander powder
- 3 mlTurmeric
- to tasteSalt
- ≈ 1.2 lWater, hot
- 3 tbspAtta, to thicken
- ≈ 200 mlWater, to mix the atta
- 20 gGinger, in thin strips
- 3Green chillies, chopped
- 3 tbspCoriander leaves, chopped
- 2Lemons (nimbu), in wedges
On the side
- 4Plain naans
Method
- Dry-roast the fennel seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon and star anise in a pan on a low flame for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant. Let them cool and grind them fine with the nutmeg and dry ginger powder: this is your nihari masala.
- Heat the ghee in the pressure cooker, add the bay leaves and onions and fry on a medium flame until the onions are deep golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Lift a third of the onions onto a plate for the topping.
- Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute, until the raw smell goes.
- Add the mutton and brown it on a high flame for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until coloured all over.
- Lower the heat and stir in the Kashmiri chilli powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, the nihari masala and salt. Fry for 1–2 minutes.
- Pour in the hot water and close the cooker. Bring it to full pressure on a high flame until the first whistle, then turn the flame to low and cook for 45 minutes. Let the pressure drop by itself: the meat should come right off the bones.
- Meanwhile, cut the ginger into thin strips, chop the green chillies and coriander leaves and cut the lemons into wedges.
- Whisk the atta with the water to a smooth, lump-free paste.
- Open the cooker and pour in the atta paste in a thin stream, stirring all the time so no lumps form.
- Simmer uncovered on a low flame for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the gravy is silky and thick and the ghee floats to the top. Taste for salt.
- Meanwhile, warm the naans on a hot tawa, about 30 seconds a side.
- Ladle the nihari into bowls and top with the fried onions, ginger, green chillies and coriander. Serve with the lemon wedges and the hot naans.
