Nalli Nihari | Mutton Nihari Recipe | Gosht Nihari

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Nalli Nihari | Mutton Nihari Recipe | Gosht Nihari

Nalli Nihari aka Mutton Nihari is a heritage Mughlai winter delicacy where shank meat is cooked with selected spices for hours to reach the level of perfection

Course Mutton

Cuisine Mughlai

Keyword Debjanir Rannaghar, mutton nihari recipe. kolkata nihari recipe, Nalli nihari recipe, winter nihari recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 30

Servings people

Calories 818kcal

Author Debjani Chatterjee Alam

Cost Rs 1000

Ingredients

1 kg Mutton Shank Meat cut into pieces with the marrowbone
100 g Fat from the portion near to liver of the mutton cut into chunks (optional)
100 g lamb brain optional
2 tablespoon Garlic Paste
2 tablespoon Ginger Paste
3 tablespoon Lemon Juice
3 tablespoon Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon Deghi Red Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Turmeric Powder
1.5 teaspoon Salt or to taste
150 ml Vegetable Oil 1 Cup
2 tablespoon Ghee
4.5 tablespoon Nihari Masala see below how to make it

Nihari Masala:

2 Star Anise
1 Nutmeg
3 Bay Leaf
3 pieces Cinnamon Stick 1" each
20 Black Pepper
15 Green Cardamom
1 tablespoon Coriander Seed
½ tablespoon Cumin Seed
1 tablespoon Fennel Seed
10 Cloves
1 tablespoon Dry Ginger Powder
1 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Turmeric Powder

For Garnishing:

3 tablespoon Ginger Julienne Cut
50 g Cilantro chopped
4 Lemon Slice

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Making Nihari Masala

Blend all the spices listed in the "Nihari Masala" section until they form a rough powder.
Next, incorporate 1 tablespoon each of dried ginger powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder into the spice blend.
Store this mixture in a sealed container.
To create nihari with 1 kilogram of meat, you will require 4.5 tablespoons of the prepared Nihari Masala.

Marinating the mutton

Clean and dry the pieces of meat.
Combine 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of ginger paste, 2 tablespoons of garlic paste, and 1 tablespoon of Nihari Masala to marinate the meat. (refer to previous step)
Allow the mutton to marinate for 30 minutes.

Slow-cooking Mutton Nihari

Begin by boiling approximately 2 liters of water in a pot.
Ensure that this water is easily accessible for the mutton, as it will be added gradually.
Next, heat both oil and ghee in a deep pot.
Make sure that the pot has a secure lid.
Once the oil and ghee mixture is adequately heated, add the mutton pieces and fry them on low heat for approximately 5 minutes.
Afterwards, incorporate 3 tablespoons of the Nihari spice powder into the meat and mix thoroughly.
Continue cooking on low heat for an additional 5 minutes.
By this point, the meat will have released its moisture.
At this stage, add the boiling water while keeping the heat low.
Add salt to taste and, if desired, chili powder.
Cover the pot with a lid and allow it to simmer on low heat for 5 hours, refraining from stirring the meat.
If necessary, add boiling water intermittently to maintain a runny consistency in the curry.
You may need to add 500ml of water as needed.
After 4 hours, the meat will be fully cooked and the curry will have a layer of oil floating on top.
Using a spoon, carefully remove and set aside this oil in a separate bowl.
Finally, combine 3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour with 1 cup of hot water to create a semi-runny mixture or slurry.
Gently combine the curry with the spices.
It is unnecessary to mix the Nihari excessively.
Allow the curry to simmer for an additional hour without stirring.
After a total of approximately 6 hours of cooking the meat, turn off the heat.
Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of spice mix and lemon juice over the curry, lightly mixing it in.
Drizzle the reserved oil and ghee mixture on top.
When serving, garnish with ginger julienne, lemon slices, and chopped cilantro.

Notes

I am not a proponent of the quick and easy approach to preparing Nihari. This particular dish requires a significant investment of time in the cooking process.
The selection of meat pieces is of utmost importance, with the shank being an essential component. While the inclusion of brain and fat is optional, they do enhance the overall flavor and quality of the dish.
It is possible to opt for a faster cooking method by utilizing a pressure cooker, but the resulting outcome will deviate significantly from the authentic essence of nihari.
Instead of Deghi Red Chili Powder, you can use Kashmiri Red Chili Powder or any other type of mild Red Chili Powder. But if you're using a spicier version, you may want to use less of it.

Nutrition