Karachi-style Beef Nihari by HalalGuideUK

Credit: HalalGuideUK

Nihari is a thick stew that’s slow-cooked overnight using meat shank and bonemarrow along with the addition of a variety of spices.

This classic dish is usually accompanied by thinly sliced fresh ginger, fried onions, a wedge of lemon, finely chopped fresh coriander, and thin slices of freshly cut green chillies, which you can add to your taste and desire, and served with hot tandoori naan.

Our recipe is an authentic Karachi-style Beef Nihari, which we’re sure you’ll love just as much as all the Karachiites.

INGREDIENTS

DRY NIHARI MASALA POWDER

2 tsp red chilli powder
cinnamon stick (break it into small pieces)
4 black cardamom
1/3 piece of nutmeg
2 pieces of mace
1/3 tsp cloves (approx. 40 cloves)
7 bay leaves
3/4 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp tartaric powder
1 star anise

SPICY BEEF NIHAR

1 kg beef with bone (don’t chop the meat into pieces)
½ kg bone marrow (beef)
2 cup ghee
2 tbsp full heap ginger garlic paste
8 tbsp nihari masala
1 cup fine chappati flour (roast it in pan)
4 large onions
Water as required
Fresh coriander for garnishing
Fresh julian cut ginger for garnishing
Green chillies chopped for garnishing
Lemon slices for garnishing

METHOD

Nihari Masala powder

In a flat pan, roast all the spices until you smell the aroma of the spices. It shouldn’t be more than 2-3 minutes.
Grind the roasted spices to form the nihari masala.

Note: The dried nihari masala prepared would be enough for 1kg meat with medium spice.

Spicy Beef Nihari

Cut onions into consistent thin slices.
In a large deep pan, add ghee/oil and fry all the onions until light golden brown.
Transfer the onions to an absorbent paper.
Transfer the ghee/oil in a pot, which will later be used to cook the nihari.
Add ginger and garlic paste and fry till a light golden colour.
Add meat and bone marrow and sauté till lightly fried.
Add 7-8 tbsp of the nihari masala and mix it well.
Add 6-8 cups of water after 10 mins. Cover with lid and cook on low heat.
When the meat is tender, take excess ghee/oil out into a bowl.
Mix wheat flour in water to form a thin paste. The paste should be a slightly runny consistency with no lumps.
Add the flour mixture in the nihari and stir it continuously. Let it simmer for another 15-20 mins till the gravy thickens.
Heat the ghee/oil that was taken out earlier in a separate pan; add the brown onions and some nihari masala. Pour it on top of the nihari.
Garnish it with freshly cut coriander, ginger, green chillies and lemon.
Enjoy the delicious homemade nihari with fresh naan!

Tip: Nihari is best made in large quantities. Keep the nihari for a few hours to have a rich consistency.

HalalGuideUK is an initiative by a UK-based couple born and raised in Karachi. The concept behind this initiative is to discover different restaurants, eateries and share experiences with people.

Coming from a background, where food is regarded as larger than life, we have always been surrounded by the most delicious Pakistani and Asian cuisines.

We have been in the UK for a while, but have recently started the food exploration journey here. The Halal food industry in the UK is growing fast, alhamdulillah; but it seems like there is still a gap when it comes to authentic Karachi-style cuisine; especially biryani, bihari, karahi and haleem. This lack of availability has motivated us to cook authentic-style Karachi food to refresh the unforgettable memories of Javed Nihari, Karachi Haleem, Student Biryani, Ghaffar and Zameer Ansari BBQ and many more.

If you have any recipes you want published, Contact Us now. We’d love to hear from you!