Nihari

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Nihari
Mutton Nihari.jpg
Mutton nihari
Course Main course (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Place of origin Indian subcontinent
Region or state Lucknow
Associated cuisine Indian (Awadhi), Pakistani, Bangladeshi [1]
Invented18th-century
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredients Shank cut of beef, lamb and mutton, goat meat, or camel meat, as well as chicken and bone marrow
Other informationServed with naan or rice or Roti
  •   Commons-logo.svg Media: Nihari

Nihari is a stew which 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 originated in Lucknow, the capital of Awadh under the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent during the 18th-century. It is flavoured with long pepper (pippali), a relative of black pepper and is often served and consumed with naan, roti or rice.

Contents

Etymology

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]

History

The exact origins of Nihari are a subject of culinary debate, with many views regarding its development in the 18th century. One largely accepted tradition attributes that nihari may have originated in the royal kitchens of Lucknow, Awadh (modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India), in the late 18th-century, during the last throes of the Mughal Empire. [3] [5]

However, the dish later gained widespread popularity and eventually became a staple of the royal cuisine of Mughal-era nawabs. [6] [7]

Popularity

Nihari is a traditional dish among the Indian Muslim communities of Lucknow, Delhi, and Bhopal. Following the partition of India in 1947, many Urdu-speaking Muslims from northern 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 [8] and soon spread in prominence and availability across Pakistan.

Karachi-style beef nihari in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia - garnished with ginger, coriander leaves, and green chillies. Beef Nihari, made by Saleha Atif, Pakistan.jpg
Karachi-style beef nihari in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia – garnished with ginger, coriander leaves, and green chillies.

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. [9]

Medicinal remedies

Nihari is also used as a home remedy for fever, rhinorrhea, and the common cold. [10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sen, Colleen Taylor; Bhattacharyya, Sourish; Saberi, Helen (23 February 2023). The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 258. ISBN   978-1-350-12864-4.
  2. 1 2 Sengupta, Sushmita (3 January 2018). "Nihari: History Of The Meaty and Buttery Breakfast Staple of The Mughals". NDTV Food. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 Chakravorty, Deblina (12 April 2012). "Nihari, a gift from Nawabs". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Nihari- historical recipe". Homtainment. 23 December 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  5. ↑ Husain, Chief Izzat (16 August 2018). Izzat Ka Khana: Mughlai Cuisine Recipes. Notion Press. p. 06. ISBN   1643241508. The well known Nihari originated in Lucknow during the construction of the Rumi Gate; It was invented for labourers who worked for construction in huge numbers. A vital food was required for workers, then some Bawarchis, the Chefs, and Hakeems, the medicos decided to cock the dish with the whole buff in a large vessel prepared overnight with some energetic spices and herbs. A whole buff cooked in a large dek and was served with tandoori roti. All the workers were served in the Morning. Nehar is a Arabic word which means "Morning" therefore it got its term "Nahari." When the taste and other benefits of Nahari got popular widely among officials including the king, who turned a fan of Nahari himself. Then he ordered Nahari for his royal kitchen. Later, Nahari was placed in the menu of the royal kitchen moderating with a lot of improvements, which was later turned into "Shahi-Nahari." Apparently, Delhi and Lahore were also administrative cities that time. Nehari also toured these cities, and it was stretched to the world of Urdu speaking nations. One can easily observe its popularity among the restaurants of Lucknow along with the double layered crispy kulcha.
  6. ↑ "In celebration of winter's perfect dish, the mutton nihari!". Hindustan Times. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  7. ↑ "Do you know what is Nalli Nihari? History of Nihari and recipe of Nalli Nihari". infusecooking.com. 29 June 2021. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  8. ↑ Noorani, Asif. "Nihari a la Mexican style". The Hindu Business Line. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Sengupta, Sushmita (20 January 2022). "Nihari's 'Taar' to Dahi's 'Jamun': The Desi Art Of Using Remains Of Previous Batch To Flavour Next". Slurrp.com. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "What is Nihari?". indiacurry.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
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