Lucknow Nihari Sunday Slow Cooked Shank Broth

Method

1. 1

   Fry the birista: Fry sliced onions in 3 tbsp oil for 18 minutes until very dark golden. Remove half — keep for serving. Leave half in the pot.

2. 2

   Add ginger and garlic to the pot: Add ginger paste and garlic paste to the pot with the remaining birista. Cook 3 minutes.

3. 3

   Add all spice powders: Add red chilli powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, mace, nutmeg and the nihari masala. Stir 3 minutes on medium-low heat.

4. 4

   Add the lamb: Add lamb shanks and trotters. Turn to coat with the spiced birista.

5. 5

   Add water and salt: Add 6 cups water and salt. Bring to a vigorous boil.

6. 6

   Slow cook overnight: Reduce to the absolute lowest heat. Cover tightly. Cook for 7 to 8 hours. The collagen from the trotters and shank bones will dissolve into the broth, creating a silky, glossy consistency.

7. 7

   Thicken with flour: In the morning, dissolve 2 tbsp wheat flour in 3 tbsp water. Pour into the nihari while stirring. Cook 10 minutes — the flour thickens the broth.

8. 8

   Skim fat: Using a large spoon, skim some of the fat from the surface. Some fat remains — this is traditional.

9. 9

   Taste and adjust: The nihari should be: deeply flavoured, slightly thick and glossy, spiced but not overwhelming, with the collagen thickness from the slow cooking.

10. 10

    Serve with garnishes: Ladle into bowls. Top generously with fresh ginger julienne, reserved crispy birista, coriander leaves, slit green chilli and a wedge of lemon. Serve with sheermal or naan.

11. 11

    Note: Nihari (from the Arabic nahar meaning morning) was historically cooked through the night to be served as the first meal at dawn — specifically eaten before the first prayer (Fajr) by the Muslim communities of Lucknow and Delhi. The Awadhi nihari uses lamb shanks with trotters — the trotters provide the collagen that gives the broth its characteristic silky, lip-coating quality. The Lucknow nihari is lighter in colour and more delicately spiced than the Delhi version, reflecting the Awadhi preference for refinement over intensity.