Lamb shanks and trotters slow-cooked overnight in a deep, spiced broth thickened with flour and flavoured with fresh ginger and fried onions at serving time — the Awadhi nihari that is cooked on Saturday night to be eaten Sunday morning, traditionally eaten as the first meal of the day at dawn.
Ingredients
800 g lamb shanks (nalli) or lamb trotters
5 tbsp oil
2 large onions — finely sliced and fried to deep golden (birista)
For thickening: 2 tbsp wheat flour (atta) + 3 tbsp water — whisked smooth
For the nihari masala: 1/2 tsp fennel + 1/2 tsp cumin + 1/4 tsp cardamom — ground together
salt, 6 cups water
For serving: fresh ginger julienne, fried onion, lemon, coriander, green chilli
Method
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.
Add ginger and garlic to the pot: Add ginger paste and garlic paste to the pot with the remaining birista. Cook 3 minutes.
Add all spice powders: Add red chilli powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, mace, nutmeg and the nihari masala. Stir 3 minutes on medium-low heat.
Add the lamb: Add lamb shanks and trotters. Turn to coat with the spiced birista.
Add water and salt: Add 6 cups water and salt. Bring to a vigorous boil.
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.
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.
Skim fat: Using a large spoon, skim some of the fat from the surface. Some fat remains — this is traditional.
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.
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.
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.