Nihari Beef Stew (Pakistan)
A deeply spiced, slow-cooked beef stew, Nihari is Pakistan’s iconic breakfast dish. Rich and aromatic, the tender beef shanks are infused with a complex blend of toasted whole spices, garlic, ginger, and chili, creating a silky, flavorful broth best enjoyed with warm naan and optional roasted green chilies.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs beef shanks
- Seeds from 5 green cardamom pods
- Seeds from 5 black cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 long peppers
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) cumin seeds
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) caraway seeds
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) ajwain seeds
- 1/4 tsp (1.2ml) ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp (1.2ml) ground mace
- ½ tbsp (7.4ml) ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) red chili powder
- 1 tbsp (14.8m)Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 inch peeled knob of ginger
- 8 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp (59ml) honey
- 3 tbsp (44.4ml) canola oil
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp (9.9ml) cornstarch
- 7 cups (1680ml) plus ¼ cup (60ml) water
- Salt to taste
- 2 green Thai chilis, for garnish, optional
- Naan, for serving
Method:
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the green and black cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, long peppers, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, and ajwain seeds to the pan and toast, swirling the pan so as not to burn them, until the spices turn fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the toasted spices to a spice grinder and grind into a powder. Add these ground spices to a food processor along with the ground nutmeg, ground mace, ground turmeric, red chili powder, Kashmiri chili powder, ginger, garlic, honey, and canola oil and blend to form a paste.
Add the spice paste and beef shanks to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the beef and marinade and sear the beef for about 5 minutes on both sides.
Add the bay leaves, water, and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 4-5 hours, or until the meat separates from the bones. Add more water if needed.
If the bone marrow is still in the bones, take out the bone marrow and stir it into the broth.
Mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup of water to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the stew and allow it to thicken for about 3 minutes.
Roast Thai chilis in a pan over medium-high heat until blistered and use to garnish the Nihari, if desired. Serve with naan.