Skip to content
Nihari from Pakistan

Nihari

📍 Nationwide ★ 4.5
Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Slow-cooked spiced beef stew, a Sunday-morning ritual.

About Nihari

Beef or lamb shank is simmered overnight with bone marrow and warm spices into a rich, fragrant stew thickened with flour. Traditionally eaten at breakfast, it is a beloved dish of Pakistan and northern India.

🏛️ History & Culture

Nihari's origins are debated, though it is widely associated with the Mughal courts of Delhi and Lucknow in the 18th century, where it was likely developed as a hearty breakfast for laborers and nobles alike. The dish's name comes from the Arabic word "nihar," meaning morning, reflecting its traditional role as a pre-dawn meal before the day's work.

Regional variations across Pakistan and northern India adjust the protein—beef is common in Pakistan, while lamb or goat appears in some Indian versions—and the spice blend, which often includes cardamom, cloves, and dried ginger. Beyond its culinary role, nihari holds cultural significance as a slow-cooked communal dish, often simmered overnight and served with naan or garnished with ginger and lemon, symbolizing hospitality and warmth in both homes and street eateries.

🍳 How to make Nihari

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Nihari (Pakistani Slow-Simmered Beef Stew)

A rich, deeply spiced overnight stew of beef shank and bone marrow, traditionally served at breakfast with naan across Pakistan and northern India.

Prep
25 min
Cook
480 min
Total
505 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Medium

Recipe ingredients

  • 1.2 kg (2½ lb) beef shank, bone-in, cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces, with bone marrow
  • 60 g (2 oz) bone marrow, or 2 extra marrow bones
  • 120 ml (½ cup) neutral oil, or ghee
  • 2 g (1 tsp) whole cloves
  • 4 g (1 tsp) green cardamom pods
  • 1 g (2 in) cinnamon stick
  • 2 g (1 tsp) black peppercorns
  • 1 g (2) black cardamom pods, optional but traditional
  • 1 g bay leaf
  • 2 g (1 tbsp) fennel seeds
  • 1 g (½ tsp) mace, optional
  • 300 g (10 oz) yellow onions, finely sliced
  • 30 g (¼ cup) fresh ginger, julienned
  • 20 g (¼ cup) garlic cloves, crushed
  • 15 g (1 tbsp) Kashmiri red chili powder, adjust to taste
  • 5 g (1 tsp) regular red chili powder, for heat
  • 10 g (1 tbsp) ground coriander
  • 5 g (1 tsp) ground turmeric
  • 30 g (⅓ cup) wheat flour (atta), or whole-wheat flour, for thickening
  • 250 ml (1 cup) for slurry
  • 1.5 L (6 cups) hot water, plus more as needed
  • 8 g (1½ tsp) salt, to taste
  • 10 g (1 tbsp) garam masala, for finishing
  • 10 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, julienned, for garnish
  • 5 g (2 tbsp) fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
  • 3 g (1 tsp) green chili, sliced, for garnish
  • 5 g (1 tsp) lemon juice, plus wedges to serve

Steps

  1. 1 Wrap whole cloves, green and black cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns, fennel seeds, mace, and bay leaf in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni; set aside.
  2. 2 Heat oil or ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring often, for 18–22 minutes until deep golden brown. Do not rush this step; the dark color builds the stew's flavor.
  3. 3 Add crushed garlic and 20 g of the julienned ginger; sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
  4. 4 Stir in Kashmiri chili, regular chili, coriander, and turmeric. Cook 1 minute, then add the beef shank pieces and bone marrow. Turn the heat to medium-high and sear the meat lightly on all sides, about 5 minutes.
  5. 5 Pour in 1.5 L hot water, add the spice bundle and salt. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises.
  6. 6 Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Cover the pot with a tight lid and simmer for 6–8 hours, checking every 2 hours and topping up with hot water if the level drops below the meat. The meat is safe and done when it pulls cleanly from the bone and a probe inserted into the thickest part reads at least 85 °C (185 °F) with no pink juices.
  7. 7 Whisk the wheat flour with 250 ml cold water to make a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the stew and simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
  8. 8 Remove the spice bundle. Stir in the garam masala and lemon juice, then taste and adjust salt.
  9. 9 To serve, ladle the nihari into deep bowls, making sure each portion gets a piece of marrow. Top with the remaining 10 g julienned ginger, cilantro, and sliced green chili. Serve immediately with hot naan or sheermal, extra lemon wedges, and sliced raw onions if desired.
Report an issue with this recipe

Protected by reCAPTCHA. No account needed.

Recipes from travellers

No one has shared their own Nihari recipe yet. Yours would be the first.

Share how you make Nihari

You'll need to be signed in with Google or Facebook so your name can appear on it. Recipes go through an automatic food-safety check before they publish.

Sign in to share your recipe

Ingredients
Steps

✅ Before you go to Pakistan

Round out your trip — most travellers book these alongside their trip.

Reviews

Rate this dish:
No review needed - one click, publishes instantly.

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience with Nihari.

Write a review

Sign in to verify you're a real person, then share your thoughts on Nihari.

Comments

Sign in with Facebook or Google below to comment. Comments are auto-checked and post instantly.

No comments yet. Be the first to say something about Nihari.