All of you often ask me
Ranveer,
You show all recipes
But haven't shown the recipe for 'Nihari'! Why so?
See, the thing is...it's very difficult to 'teach' the recipe for Nihari
Because I have always learnt it by guessing and through estimation
Add 'this much' oil, 'this much' onion and 'these many' spices and Nihari is ready!
And...
And converting that rough estimate into measurement is very difficult
Therefore I have got a weighing scale
Today...
I will convert this rough estimate into exact quantities for all of you
So...from today there will be this recipe of Nihari on the internet which can never fail!
Rolling &...
Action!!!
'Nihari' comes from the Urdu word 'Nihar'
So...
'Nihar' which means 'morning' in Urdu
And known as 'Nahaar' in Arabic
The name originates from there. So, 'food eaten in the morning', that is, 'Nihari
So for those who eat Nihari in the evening, Nihari is not an evening snack!
Uhh...
And it was believed that as soon as the morning Namaaz (prayers) ended, people would head to work
They would stop for Nihari on their way
And Nihari was such a power-packed, nourishing dish
It was such a warm, rich dish
That...
You could go through the day's work on a hearty breakfast of Nihari
One would directly have lunch after this
So, in a way...
It was the food of the working class
It was a food of the working class!
Who needed nourishment and energy to
Sustain through a long working day
So, we need to heat the mustard oil
And after it is hot
That is, while it heats
We'll slice the onions
Done!
It's simple now...
The oil is smoking
This is garlic juice
We grated the garlic,
After grating, we extracted it's juice
And we are going to sprinkle garlic juice on the mustard oil
So, now...the mustard oil is 'seasoned'. As we say in Lucknow!
Back in the day, Mustard oil was used in a variety of ways. For instance...
Uhh...
People would store mustard oil in an earthen pot, seal it's mouth
And then bury it in the ground
After being buried for two to three months, the oil would turn 'earthy'
And would thicken like Ghee
Then this oil would be used to cook Nihari,
And other delicacies. It's sharpness would mellow down
But in 'Dastarkhwan-E-Aam'; 'the cuisine of the commoners',
You will find that mustard oil is widely used
And the mustard oil is often
Made 'earthy' by burying it underground
And sometimes this is achieved by sprinkling garlic juice on the mustard oil
So...
People invented these tricks
Of adding flavour to food in the absence of Ghee!
And even today...
The flavour of an authentic Nihari lies in the mustard oil and not Ghee!
So, first we have added the whole spices,
Followed by the onions
Now we will add the meat
See...
Ninety percent of the people in Lucknow
Do not pre-season or marinate the meat with salt when cooking Nihari
The remaining ten percent marinate the meat in salt, ginger and garlic
So..
We are not pre-seasoning or marinating the meat
So, this part here is very important
This sautéing of onions along with the meat
This step is very important
Time to add the spices
And...
Add this to the curd
The role of chilli is to basically enhance the colour of turmeric
There you go!
Now, these spices,
The curd
And the meat
Have to be sautéed together
Sauté this till the moisture in the curd is cooked out and the Ghee rises to the top
And don't be stingy while adding water
The hallmark of a Nihari is that it is a kind of stew
And because it is a stew,
The 'sauce' or 'gravy'
Should not be less
Note and remember this colour!
Half the challenge lies here!
If you have the time,
Cover and let it cook slowly
If you are pressed for time,
Take it off at this stage
And pressure-cook
We have to bring it to a boil with this broth
I have all the time in the world!
Traditionally, the cooking of Nihari would start at two  past midnight
And it would be ready at five or six in the morning for everyone to enjoy
Hmmm...
I have a lot of time to let it cook slowly on a gentle, low flame
Done?
Now....Wait!
See, if you want to understand Nihari,
Uhh...
It is very important to understand two concepts
'Dastarkhwan-E-Aam' and 'Dastarkhwan-E-Khaas'
'Dastarkhwan-E-Aam' is the cuisine of the commoners
The food common people had on their tables
And Dastarkhwan-E-Khaas means
Uhh...
The cuisine of the Palaces, Nawabs and Mansions
And it would often happen that
Dastarkhwan-E-Khaas (The cuisine of the elite ) would reach the commoners as aspirational food
"What is the Nawab having today?"
"Let's cook 'that' today!"
Uhh...
Seldom did the 'cuisine of the commoners' travel reverse to 'Dastarkhwan-E-Khaas'
So, Nihari is one such dish that
Travelled from the 'bottom' to the 'top'
That travelled from Dastarkhwan-E-Aam to Dastarkhwan-E-Khaas!
Which means, food of the commoners that the Nawabs loved so much
That the Nawabs would ask for Nihari to be brought from Akbari Gate for an early morning breakfast
And even today,
The real flavour of an authentic Nihari lies in mustard oil and not 'Desi Ghee'!
Nice!!!
See...the meat is cooked through
Look at this!
If the meat is cooked through, it means...
Eighty percent cooking of the Nihari is done!
Because at this point, it is basically a 'Mutton Stew'
We will now make this a 'Nihari'
The first thing we need for making Nihari is the Nihari spice mix
I have never measured the ingredients. This is the first time I am doing this
Please pay attention. Because I may not do this 'measuring' bit again!
And...
After this...
Just a small amount of "All Spice"
Next...in goes the long pepper
Do not add a lot of Long Pepper. This is what causes the most damage; adding too much of it
They go overboard with the Long Pepper thinking it's good for health
Long Pepper has a lingering aftertaste
The strong flavour stays on the palate for a long time
So, if you add too much Long Pepper, that is all you will taste!
Let's begin by adding the spices you are familiar with
Now this is an interesting ingredient. This is dried Betel Leaf Root
Also known as Galangal in English
So if you think Galangal used only in Thailand,
We have been using it in Lucknow since forever!
Ten grams...
No. Fifteen...
No. We will need more Black Pepper
This is where estimation and guessing can go wrong!
Black Pepper is the essence!
The warmth of Black Pepper is beneficial to the body during winters
Now...This here is the Nihari spice mix
Note it. Memorise and remember this!
To understand this spice mix...it's just like musical notes!
Like there are musical notes in the high octave,
Middle octave and lower octave
Similarly, both in, perfume making and spice making,
Spices also fall in the high, middle and low range
Spices in the middle range lend 'body'
Lower range spices are the 'earthy spices'
And the high range has aromatic or fragrant spices
So these spices will play the high notes
Here, the high notes, that is the fragrance comes from Mace,
Cardamom,
And Rose!
The 'low range spices', that is, the 'earthy spices' are,
Stone flower, because it's woody. Hmm...
This Vetiver Root
And Galangal because it's 'earthy', isn't it?
These are lending the 'earthiness'
And the 'mid range spices' playing the middle octave notes and lending 'body'
Are... Black Pepper
Black Cardamom
And the Cumin that we have added
That is how you understand the composition of a spice mix
Alright?
I am just going to toast it lightly
Back in the day, spices were ground in a mortar and pestle
Grinding in a mortar and pestle doesn't generate heat
Modern-day cooks sometimes take the easy way out
A mixer generates heat while grinding spices
So, if you over-toast them in the pan, the spices will burn in the mixer
And the essential oils are the soul of spices!
And they are extremely volatile. Which means
They are very transient, temporary. They disappear with the slightest of heat!
And all that you are left with is a flavourless dust!
Therefore spices should never be overheated!
And if you intend to grind them in a mixer,
Just lightly toast the spices. If you over-toast them...
All the fragrance will disappear, you will be left with a flavourless dust and you will say...
"Ranveer, aapne bataya nahin!"
Alright?
I should sell this Spice Mix!
I am a laid-back person
Because I know it will sell like hot cakes!
Done!
My Ustaadji (Teacher) never told me the exact proportions
I would grind each spice separately
But I have told you the exact measurement down to the last gram!
Now after all this effort, if you don't cook Nihari...I will be hurt!
Now, take a bowl
Take whole wheat flour in it
Please tell people who use Gram Flour,  that it is never added to Nihari!
Wheat Flour is added as a thickener to Nihari
And when the wheat flour thickens the Nihari, it feels like the richness of meat gelatin on the palate
Whisk to make a slurry
As soon as this comes to a boil
The Nihari will thicken because of the wheat flour
And our 'Nihari Program' will be complete!
Ok...It is boiling
Don't thicken it too much
Don't turn it into a mutton curry!
Now to this Nihari Masala Mix,
We will add
Now the Ghee will be infused with the essence of all the spices
This is called 'Teera'
This is the heart of Nihari!
Aha! Very nice!!!
There you go!
Now that makes the heart happy!
Aha! Aha!
If you find mutton shanks, you can cook a Nihari with shanks
Otherwise, add some shank,
Some lamb breast, some rump
Usually, people believe that. Uhh...
That Nihari is cooked only with shanks
That's the biggest misconception!
Because Nihari can be made from any cut that lends itself to slow cooking
And usually the cuts used for stewing, which needed a long time to cook
Were the tough, inexpensive cuts
So, once the Nawabs took the shanks,
Then...
What was left
Was the neck,
You know...Uhh...Uhh. The tougher cuts were used to cook Nihari
So 'Nalli Nihari' is an elite indulgence!
The 'real' Nihari is the one cooked with tough mutton cuts which are slowly stewed
Hmm...
So...
When people claim that Nalli Nihari is the 'real' Nihari, that is a Dastarkhwan-E-Khaas version
The Nihari of common people, which is the real Nihari, is made from inexpensive cuts of meat
So don't hassle your butcher
Because you can only get four shanks from one lamb
And be generous with the coriander
No...not because it is Ranveer Brar's favourite garnish!
But because...
Fresh coriander is the life of a Nihari!
Fresh Coriander,
Lime and Onion
Nihari is incomplete without these!
Fresh Coriander, Lime, Onion and... Khameeri Roti (leavened flatbread)
Three 'best friends' of a Nihari are very important
Nihari is not complete without fresh coriander, lime and onions
The thing is, it needs freshness!
It has everything
Only the freshness was missing
This is for freshness
Served with a 'Kulcha' or a "Khameeri Roti'
A flatbread that will soak the 'gravy'
And a plain flatbread. Don't apply butter on it
This is perfect!
So, for all those who asked why I don't show a Nihari recipe
I have now shown you the recipe for Nihari
Now it is your responsibility to spread this recipe
By sharing
Through WhatsApp,
On all social media channels
The whole world should know how special the Lucknowi Nihari is!
And those who had not requested the Nihari recipe,
I have still shown you the recipe for Nihari
If you don't want to share, please ask others to subscribe
Alright?
Oho!!!
If you don't cook this next weekend
Then...
You are really missing out on something special!
Rush...Don't you want to bring meat?!
Oh Oh Oh!!!
