Meat stew originating in the Indian subcontinent From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nihari (Hindi: निहारी; Bengali: নিহারী; Urdu: نہاری) is a stew originating in Lucknow, the capital of 18th-century Awadh under the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of slow-cooked meat, mainly a shank cut of beef, lamb and mutton, or goat meat, as well as chicken and bone marrow. It is flavoured with long pepper (pippali), a relative of black pepper. In Pakistan and Bangladesh, nihari is often served and consumed with naan.
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Mutton Nihari | |
| Course | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indian subcontinent |
| Region or state | Lucknow, Awadh |
| Associated cuisine | Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi[1] |
| Created by | Mughals |
| Invented | 18th century |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Shank cut of beef, lamb and mutton, goat meat, or camel meat, as well as chicken and bone marrow |
| Other information | Served with naan or rice or Roti |
The name nihari originates from Arabic nahâr (نهار), meaning "morning";[2][3][4] it was originally eaten by nawabs in the Mughal Empire as a breakfast course following Fajr prayer.[2][4]
According to many sources, nihari originated in the royal kitchens of Lucknow, in the Oudh State of the Mughal Empire, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India, in the late 18th century, during the last throes of Mughal rule.[3] It was originally meant to be consumed as a heavy, high-energy breakfast dish on an empty stomach by working-class citizens, particularly in colder climates and seasons. However, the dish later gained a significant amount of popularity and eventually became a staple of the royal cuisine of Mughal-era nawabs.[5][6]
Nihari is a traditional dish among the Indian Muslim communities of Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bhopal. Following the partition of India in 1947, many Urdu-speaking Muslims from India migrated to Karachi in West Pakistan and Dhaka in East Pakistan, and established a number of restaurants serving the dish. In Karachi, nihari became a large-scale success[7] and soon spread in prominence and availability across Pakistan.
In some restaurants, a few kilograms from each day's leftover nihari is added to the next day's pot; this reused portion of the dish is known as taar and is believed to provide a unique flavour. Some nihari outlets in Old Delhi claim to have kept an unbroken cycle of taar going for more than a century.[8]
Nihari is also used as a home remedy for fever, rhinorrhea, and the common cold.[9]
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