09/20/2026
Lamb Nihari Recipe
You will love my delicious, step by step, Nihari recipe!
Nihari is a meat based dish that originated in Old Delhi, India during the 18th century under the Moghul Empire. It was meant to be a high energy breakfast dish. It is also a very popular dish in Pakistan.
Ingredients & Recipe below:
Mutton Nihari Ingredients:
3 LBS mutton/lamb pcs
1/4 cup cooking/veg. oil, plus 2 more TBS
2 TBSP Nihari Masala - See recipe for this at the bottom
You can use store bought Nihari Masala instead
1 Large red onion - finely chopped
6 cups water to cook Nihari
1 Large green chili - minced
2.5 TBSP All purpose flour
1.5 cups water to make flour slurry
1 TBSP ginger - sliced thin into matchsticks/slivers
Salt to taste
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
Cooking Instructions/Method:
Heat 1/4 cup cooking/veg. oil in a large nonstick pan
Fry chopped onion until brown, remove from pan, set aside
Now add mutton/lamb pcs to the same pan and fry until it changes color
Reduce flame from high to medium then add Nihari Masala & salt to taste
Mix well then add water, add fried onions
Cover pan with lid & cook for 1 hour first
While Nihari is being cooked prepare flour slurry by adding 2.5 TBSP all purpose flour to 1.5 cup water. Mix well set aside
After an hour check to see if meat is tender, if not cook for another 30 mins. The time it takes to cook meat well depends on its quality
Next open open lid and add flour slurry to Nihari in the saucepan
Mix well then add lemon juice and chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
Wala! Your delicious Mutton Nihari is ready! Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with ginger slices. Enjoy with Naan or Basmati rice.
Nihari Masala Recipe:
Toast all the spices mentioned below in a frying pan for 1 minute
Transfer to a blender/grinder and grind to make Nihari Masala
8 Bay leaves
3 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Star Anise
10 Green Cardamom
20 Black Peppercorn
10 cloves
1 TBSP Dry Ginger powder (Saunth)
2 TBSP Coriander Seeds
2 TBSP Cumin Seeds
1 TBSP Black Cumin Seeds
1.5 TBSP Fennel Seeds
Use as needed, store remaining for future use.
