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EveryMasala

Regional blends

Nihari masala

A warming blend for the slow-cooked beef or lamb stew eaten at breakfast across Pakistan.

Nihari is a slow-cooked stew traditionally eaten early in the morning in Delhi, Lucknow, Karachi and Lahore. Its masala is dark and fragrant, and uses ginger, fennel and long pepper alongside the usual warm spices.

What goes in

Fennel: 20%20%Dried ginger: 20%20%Coriander seed: 20%20%Cardamom: 13%13%Long pepper: 13%13%Mace: 7%Nutmeg: 7%15parts

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

  1. Step 1: Toast Gently dry roast the fennel and coriander.
  2. Step 2: Toast Toast the long pepper, cardamom and mace for a few seconds.
  3. Step 3: Rest Cool the spices.
  4. Step 4: Grind Grind with the dried ginger and nutmeg.
  5. Step 5: Bloom Stir into hot ghee and onion to start the stew.
  6. Step 6: Store Store the remaining powder in a jar.
  7. Fennel: 20%20%Dried ginger: 20%20%Coriander seed: 20%20%Cardamom: 13%13%Long pepper: 13%13%Mace: 7%Nutmeg: 7%
    Finished Nihari masala, by share.

A morning dish

The name comes from an Arabic word for morning or day. The dish is cooked overnight and served with naan. Shops often have a pot running for years, with a little carried over.

The blend

Fennel, dried ginger, cardamom, mace, nutmeg, long pepper, cinnamon and chilli are common. Readymade nihari mixes are sold widely, and recipes vary by city.

Where it is used

Beef nihariLamb nihariPaya

The spices in it

Long pepperPiper longum.NutmegSweet.GingerDried.FennelThe anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbGingerThe pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.CorianderThe leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.CardamomAromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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