Today in the kitchen - nihari lucknowi

This happened last Thursday, on June 10, 2021. I was a bit hesitant since it was first attempt failure but then saving the situation covered up failure and made the event more interesting, I am writing this blog with a warning so that when you cook, you avoid the same mistakes.

Nihari originated as an early morning meal of the commoners especially the working class. In the early last century and before workmen used to leave home before dawn after eating nihari. Spices and meat would give them sufficient nutrition for the day. So the preparation world start little after midnight and before the crack of the dawn it would be ready. The nutritional value and the taste was so good that, according to Ranveer Brar ( whose recipe I followed) it made a reverse migration to the palaces.

If I were a chef in a restaurant today was the day to get a pink slip. I started making nihari following the recipe from Ranveer Brar.. no no, not that Ranveer did tell me but I didn't follow him verbatim.. step by step since I am not familiar with mutton cuts I have no idea if it was soft or hard. So eventually after 2 hours when I kept the dish on the dining table we noticed that mutton was hard and difficult to chew on.. gosh! What could one do at the last moment.. by god's grace it was like a situation when the customer cancelled the lunch appointment for some emergency and shifted it to dinner.. oh! Thank god for saving the situation.. the cooked dish was recalled into the kitchen and after 4 or 5 whistles in the pressure cooker softened the mutton and it was as delicious as possible given the ingredients available. Since the curry, although spicy by our standard in despite of being careful and using just half of what was recommended, was full of aroma and tasted good too, we managed to finish our lunch with the a mixed Atta roti that has besan and makke ka Atta in equal proportion. That became the choice as I noticed there was no Maida to make naan, at the last moment. As such the the choice of cooking nihari fell upon me at the 11th hour. Having given an overnight marinated mutton to cook with aloo, I decided otherwise to cook something that had a higher degree of complexity. 

This is a story of failure in the first attempt and repairs don't usually give the taste that you are looking for. So I would suggest that you follow the tips that I have mentioned in the process below.. mainly COOK MUTTON IN A PRESSURE COOKER.

This preparation serves four and we were left with a lot, so next day Abha came out with a brilliant idea.. put a layer of plain cooked rice in a serving bowl preferably flat bottom, add another layer of nihari, repeat the same. The result was an amazingly tasty mutton biryani.. try it you may like the same..

Another caution, if can't handle spices, even the proportions described would being tears (of chili.. not necessarily of joy). So reduce amount of chili, laung, pepper and add another spoon of curd.

So let the action start.

Recommended Ingredients

measuring these quantities may be a challenge, use approximation

For Nihari Masala

2.5 gms Green cardamom 1.5 gms mace (javitri) 2-3 long pepper * 1 gms Stone flower (chharila aka shila pushp) 1.5 gms black cumin seeds 1 dried galangal (kulanjan) * 1/4 gms Vetiver roots (khas) * 1/2 inch cinnamon stick 10 gms black pepper 2.5 gms dried rose petals

1/2 gm allspice (I am not familiar with this name) * this is not garam masala.

For Nihari 1/4 cup mustard oil approx 3tbsp 1/2 tbsp garlic juice 1 bay leaves 2-3 cloves 2 black cardamom 350 gms onion, sliced (2 medium size) 500 gm lamb /mutton salt to taste 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 2.5 gms red chili powder 7.5 gms Turmeric powder (1 1/2 tsp) 7.5 gms coriander powder (1 1/2 tsp) 3/4 cup curd ( 6tbsp) 1 tbsp wheat flour 1 tbsp prepared nihari masala (what you are going to prepare) 1 tbsp kewra water (a plant extract for flavouring) * 1 cup water

For Tira (cooked masala that we will be adding to the cooking) 1 tbsp Prepared nihari masala 1/4 cup Ghee (3tbsp) 3/4 tbsp Red chili powder 1/2 tbsp Kewra water For Garnish Coriander leaves Onion chopped Lemon wedges

* I did not have these ingredients but still went ahead since only an expert can tell the absence of these.

Process ● In a heavy bottom pan heat mustard oil and let it start smoke . Sprinkle some garlic juice for softening the mustard oil. (prepare the garlic juice by dissolving 2 crushed garlic clove into half cup of water and mix well.. ● Add bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom, onion and sauté well. ● Add lamb salt to taste and ginger garlic paste and roast them well. ● In a bowl, add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and curd mix well. ● Add the curd mixture into the handi. Water as required and mix well. ● Cover and cook on low flame till the mutton is completely cooked.

Since Mutton did not get cooked in the heavy bottom pan even after over an hour, I would recommend either to cook it on low heat for 3 hours or cook it in a pressure cooker and give 3-4 whistles. For nihari masala ● Heat a pan, add green cardamom, mace, allspice, long pepper, stone flower, black cumin seeds, dried galangal, vetiver root, cinnamon stick, black pepper and dry rose petals. Dry roast till fragrant. ● Transfer the spices in a blender and blend it to a fine powder and keep it aside. ● In a bowl, add wheat flour, prepared nihari masala, water as required, black pepper and kewra water mix well. Transfer this slurry into handi. ● Cook till the the gravy slightly thickened. For Tira ● Heat a pan, add ghee, nihari masala, red chilli powder and kewra water mix well strain the mixture and transfer it to handi. ● Garnish with coriander leaves, onion chopped, lemon wedges.

I had planned to serve this with naan but since I had run out of maida, I prepared rotis of mixed atta using besan, makke/maize atta and plain wheat atta.. it was like missi roti.