Lubna 
In between graduate study assignments, job searches, and cover letters, I suddenly got a craving for Nihari. But I was not in the mood to drive 30 mins to the Halal store to get the traditional beef chunks for it. Chicken was all that was at hand.
To make chicken nihari or not to make chicken nihari. That is the question! Quelling my Shakespearean uprisings, I decided to go for it. I know I will get pushback for it from the other foodies in the house, but today was a day for experimentation. I settled on Recipe 52’s version of nihari with slight variations.
The masala for the nihari is made from scratch, and the whole dish was ready in under an hour ( including the defrosting of the chicken)! Set the chicken to thaw in water while you prepare the ingredients. You can cube it while it is semi-defrosted. Since I’m using boneless chicken, it speeds up the cooking time even more.
Ingredients for Nihari Masala:
- 3 tsps cumin
- 3 tsps coriander seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 2 big black elaichi
- 5 small green elaichi ( cardamom)
- 1 peepli ( optional)
- 2-3 kebab cheeni/allspice ( optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 1 stuck of cinnamon ( about 2 inches)
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp Kashmiri red chillies powder
- 1 tsp cayenne red chilli powder
- 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp ground mace and nutmeg
Slow roast on low heat all the whole spices, then add all the powdered spices and grind it. Store in an air-tight container.
Nihari Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs cubed
- 1/4 cup wheat flour ( roasted)
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 Serrano chilli
- 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/4 cup oil plus another 1/4 cup to steep 2 tsp of the nigari masala in for Tari.
- 1 tsp / cube of concentrate chicken stock ( since I’m using boneless chicken here)
Directions:
- Brown the onions and crush it with the green chilli into a paste.
- Add back into the oil and add chicken, ginger garlic paste and 3 tsps of the prepared Nihari masala. Cook till.oil separates.
- Add yogurt and water.
- Simmer for 10 mins.
- Dry roast the wheat flour for 2 mins and then make a slurry with 1 cup of water.
- Slowly drizzle into the chicken gravy.
- Cook for 5 mins. It will start to thicken up.
- Add another glass of water and let the mix simmer. Check for salt. You might need to add another 1/2 – 1 tsp of salt.
- In a separate pan, slowly heat 1/4 cup of oil and add 2 tsp of the Nihari masala plus 1 tsp of Kashmiri Red chilli powder. Steep for a few minutes.
- Squeeze fresh lemon on the chicken curry and serve with a dollop of the Tari and some sliced ginger, a sprinkle of masala and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
- Serve with Naan or roti.
The Verdict
Is it as good as authentic Mutton or Beef Nihari? Obviously not, but dare I say, ‘all’s well that ends well! It was incredibly fragrant and hearty. Quick to make and gives the impression that it has been slow-cooked for hours! For a weeknight meal, I’d say, go for it!
