Awadhi cuisine
Nalli Nihari
The slow-cooked overnight lamb shank stew of Lucknow — bone marrow, whole spices and a silky gravy that takes hours to develop. Cold-press mustard oil is the traditional cooking fat.
Why cold press mustard oil?
Nihari is a 6-8 hour slow cook. Cold-press mustard oil's stability at sustained low heat is unmatched — it does not oxidise or break down during the long cooking process, and its compounds meld into the gravy over time.
Ingredients
- 1 kg lamb shanks (nalli)
- 5 tbsp Dune Aura Cold-Press Mustard Oil
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tbsp nihari masala (or garam masala + fennel + dry ginger)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour (for thickening)
- 4 cups water
- Salt to taste
- Ginger julienne, green chillies, lemon, fresh coriander to serve
Step-by-step method
- 1
Heat mustard oil in a heavy pot until smoking. Fry onions until deep golden. Remove half for garnish.
- 2
Add ginger-garlic paste. Sauté 2 minutes.
- 3
Add lamb shanks. Sear on high heat until browned.
- 4
Add nihari masala, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
- 5
Add water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer.
- 6
Cook covered for 2.5-3 hours (or overnight on lowest heat) until meat falls off the bone.
- 7
Mix wheat flour with water. Add to the gravy to thicken. Simmer 15 more minutes.
- 8
Serve with naan, topped with ginger julienne, green chillies and a squeeze of lemon.
Pro tip
The longer it cooks, the better. Traditional nihari is cooked overnight and served at dawn.
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