Old Delhi and Karachi breakfast · Slow-cooked overnight
Beef Nihari Recipe (Delhi and Karachi Style)
Fall-apart shank. Silky gravy. Fiery tarka.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenNihari is beef shank slow-cooked for hours in a deeply spiced gravy, then thickened with toasted flour until it turns silky and glossy. It goes wrong when it is rushed: tough meat, raw-tasting masala and a thin or lumpy gravy. This recipe uses homemade nihari masala, a long gentle simmer and the classic atta slurry and ghee tarka.
The 3 laws of nihari
Why this recipe works
Lean steak
Shank and marrow bones give the gelatin that makes nihari silky.
Fast boil
A barely bubbling simmer for 4 hours makes the meat melt.
Raw flour
Toasted flour thickens without a pasty taste or lumps.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Meat
Nihari masala
Thickening and garnish
The NineFoods nihari gauge
Is the nihari ready to thicken?
After about 3.5 hours, press a piece of shank with a spoon. Tap the result.
Method · 5 stages
Step by step
Make the nihari masala
- Dry-roast the whole spices until fragrant.
- Cool and grind with nutmeg, mace, dried ginger, chilli and turmeric.
Sear the meat
- Heat ghee, add ginger garlic paste and the meat and bones.
- Sear until the meat changes colour, then add 3 tbsp nihari masala and salt and fry 3 minutes.
Slow simmer
- Add water and half the fried onions, cover and simmer on the lowest heat.
- Check every hour and top up with hot water if needed. Use the gauge above.
Thicken
- Whisk toasted atta into 1 cup water until smooth.
- Pour slowly into the pot while stirring and simmer until silky.
Tarka and serve
- Heat ghee with 1 tsp nihari masala and pour over the nihari.
- Serve with ginger, chillies, coriander, fried onions and lemon.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Lean cut or not simmered long enough.
Fix next time
Use shank and keep simmering until it falls apart, adding hot water as needed.
Why
Flour added dry or too fast.
Fix next time
Whisk atta into cold water first and pour slowly while stirring.
Why
Atta not roasted.
Fix next time
Dry-roast the flour until light brown before making the slurry.
Why
Not enough atta or too much water.
Fix next time
Add 1 more tbsp atta slurry and simmer 10 minutes.
Why
Strong homemade masala.
Fix next time
Use 2 tbsp masala, add more ginger garnish and serve with naan.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Beef shank | Gelatin-rich, silky | Mutton shank (cook 2.5 hours) |
| Homemade masala | Fresh, deep aroma | Ready-made nihari masala, 3 tbsp |
| Atta | Thickens gravy | Plain flour, roasted the same way |
| Ghee | Rich tarka | Oil |
| Pressure cooker | Saves hours | Cook 60 minutes under pressure |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Khamiri roti or naan, plus ginger, chillies, lemon and fried onions.
Store
Fridge 4 days. Freezer 3 months; freeze without the garnishes.
Reheat
Thin with hot water, simmer until glossy and add a fresh ghee tarka.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 5 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the nihari ready to thicken) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Beef nihari FAQ
Which meat is best for nihari?
Beef or mutton shank, ideally with marrow bones, for a rich and silky gravy.
How long does nihari take to cook?
About 4 hours on a slow simmer, or around 60 minutes in a pressure cooker.
What thickens nihari gravy?
A slurry of toasted whole wheat flour (atta) mixed with water.
When is nihari eaten?
Traditionally at breakfast after an overnight cook, but it is now popular any time of day.