Easy Slow Cook Nihari | Pakistani Braised Beef Stew
Like many of my fellow second generation American-Pakistanis, I like to take shortcuts in cooking elaborate desi dishes. Nihari is one of those traditional Pakistani/Indian dishes that nearly all desis love and enjoy. It's jam packed with flavorful spices and characterized by tender meat (beef or mutton). So in this recipe, I use pre-ground spices (it's best to toast them whole, then grind them fresh) and boneless beef stew (rather than traditional bone-in with the marrow, YUM!). It's meant to be a shortcut for when you want the flavorful punch without the extra effort.
Ingredients
2 lb beef stew
2-3 tbsp canola oil or ghee
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp garlic paste (about 4 large cloves)
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
4-5 cups water, plus 1/2 cup (separate)
For garnish:
2 inch nub of ginger, finely sliced
1-2 serrano peppers, finely sliced discs
small handful of cilantro, chopped
1 lemon, cut in quarters
Recipe
Heat 2 tbsp canola oil/ghee in a 4qt dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot appropriate for stovetop slow-cooking) over medium heat.
Pat any moisture off from the beef stew and carefully arrange the pieces in the heated oil. Do not try to slide the pieces around, we need to sear them! When they’re seared/browned, they will release on their own and be easy to lift up. Sear/brown the meat on all sides, flipping every few minutes.
Once the meat is browned on all sides, remove the pieces one by one (keeping the oil/fat in the pot) and set aside in a heatproof bowl.
If the pot looks a bit dry and is not coated with oil/ghee, you can add up to one more tbsp at this point. Let it heat up. Then add the thinly sliced onions to the pot.
While they’re cooking, go ahead and put the flour in a 1-2 cup bowl. Pour just a little bit of the 1/2 cup of water into the flour, whisking vigorously to create a paste. Slowly pour the remaining water (of the half cup) while stirring. Set this aside for later.
When the onions have browned and softened (about 3-5 minutes later), add the garlic and ginger pastes to the pot. Stir and let them fry up a bit.
Now add the ground spices and stir. Let the spices bloom and toast up.
When they become really fragrant, add the beef back into the pot and stir, allowing the spices to coat the meat. Cook for 2-3 minutes (still medium heat).
Slowly pour the 4-5 cups of water in the pot, stopping right after the water level passes above the meat (refer to video).
Pour the flour-water slurry into the pot and give it a stir. Bring the stew up to a boil.
When the stew is boiling, drop the heat to low (not the lowest setting, but right above it; around a 3) and cover.
Let this slow cook for a total of 2-3 hours (exact time depends on the meat and your stove and your pot). Check and give the nihari a light stir every 45 minutes. If your pot isn’t quite “broken-in” and/or has a higher chance of burning the stew due to it not being heavy bottomed etc, you’ll have to check and stir the nihari more often, like every 20-30 minutes. I highly recommend investing in a good quality dutch oven!
When the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is thick/coats your spoon, it’s ready! Garnish with sliced ginger, sliced/diced serrano pepper, chopped cilantro, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve with warm naan or pita bread!
