Directions
I was so excited to have two days off for christmas and boxing day, so I asked what you suggest/request me to make. One of the suggestions was the Pakistani nihari, which I found very appealing - mainly because I love trying out dishes I have never heard of from different parts of the world - and now is the perfect time to challenge oneself.
The recipe is not difficult but is timely. It took just over 4 hours from start to finish! But the end result is worth the effort! I have left in some ingredients below in case you have them on hand, but have written if I omitted or replaced with something. Also, my family are not big fans of ghee, and for this reason I excluded it completely and only used oil.
- Grind all the ingredients under 'for the nihari garam masala spice mix' until they become a powder - then set aside
- In a large deep pot, heat the oil on medium heat, then fry the ginger and garlic for a few minutes
- Add the lamb and continue frying until the lamb is sealed (the colour changes on all sides) - this may take 10-15 mins, so be patient
- Sprinkle the salt and chilli powder over the lamb, followed by the nihari garam masala you prepared earlier (leave 3 tsp of the garam masala for later use)
- Fry until the masala becomes fragrant, adding a splash of water if the spices stick to the pan
- Add the kashmiri chilli powder to the lamb and mix well
- Add 8 cups of boiling water, or until the meat is submerged, turn the heat down to low, cover and leave to cook for 45 mins to 1 hour, mixing from time to time
- After an hour, take a cup out of the lamb liquid, and add both flours to it, mixing it well. Then add this back into the main pot and stir
- Add another cup of boiling water if needed, then cover and leave on very low heat for 2 hours (or until the meat is so tender it falls off the bone)
- Once it is ready, serve hot topped with the ingredients under 'to decorate' and the remaining garam masala spice
You can serve this with rice, or roti, or both :) I served with both. Alhamdulilah this was delicious, the meat was super tender and the lamb nihari was delicious! Enjoy :)
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