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Overhead view of beef nihari
Pakistani · Dinner

Beef Nihari

Beef shank slow-cooked in a spiced gravy thickened with toasted flour. A weekend project that mostly cooks itself.

Prep20 min
Cook4 h 10 min
Total4 h 30 min
Serves6
Difficulty
CuisinePakistani

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment: Heavy-based pan

Method

  1. Fry the onion in ghee until golden, then lift out and keep for garnish.

  2. Add beef and ginger-garlic paste; sear on high.

  3. Add nihari masala, salt and 8 cups water. Cover and simmer on the lowest heat until the meat is fork-tender.

  4. Dry-toast the flour in a pan until light brown, cool, then whisk with 1 cup water until smooth.

  5. Stir the slurry into the pot and simmer, stirring, until the gravy thickens and turns glossy.

  6. Serve with ginger, chilies, fried onion and lemon.

Cooking tips

  • Skim the fat that rises during step 3 and spoon it back over each bowl as tari.
  • A pressure cooker cuts step 3 to about 60 minutes.

Substitutions

  • Beef → mutton shank, same timing
  • Nihari masala → 2 tbsp garam masala + 1 tsp fennel + ½ tsp ground ginger

Serve with

Khamiri roti or naan, and plenty of lemon.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; it tastes better on day two.

Reheating

Warm slowly with some water; it thickens as it cools.

Nutrition per serving, estimated

520kcal
42 gProtein
12 gCarbs
34 gFat

Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.

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