Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Potli Nihari Masala:
- Bay leaves - 3
- Ceylon Cinnamon - 1 1/2”
- freshly grated Nutmeg - 1 tsp.
- freshly grated Mace - 1 tsp.
- Star Anise - 1
- Long Pepper - 3 pieces
- Stone Flower - 1 gm
- Green Cardamom - 10 pods, husks removed
- Black Peppercorns - 20
- Cloves - 12
- Fennel Seeds - 3/4 Tbsp.
- Coriander Seed - 1 1/2 tsp.
- Black Cumin - 1/2 tsp.
- Dried Ginger Powder - 3/4 tsp.
- Dried Vetiver Roots, ground to a powder - 1/2 tsp.
- Dried organic culinary-grade Bulgarian Rose Petals - 2 tsp.
- Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp.
- Kashmiri Chili Powder - 1 tsp.
- Turmeric Powder - 3/4 tsp.
- Coriander Seed Powder - 1/2 tsp.
- Garam Masala - 1 Tbsp.
- Cheesecloth
- ***
- For Nihari:
- 1/2 cup ghee
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 1/4 lbs. Beef Shank (bong) or mutton (goat) if you so prefer
- 3 oz. bone marrow (optional but recommended)
- 5 cups beef or mutton stock or water (TFD strongly prefers stock), more if needed
- 3 Tbsp. ginger paste
- 3 Tbsp. garlic paste
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. Kashmiri chili powder
- Kosher Salt, to taste
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 Black Cardamoms, pods removed
- 1/2 oz. Coriander seed powder
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic juice (process a whole head of garlic in the blender, put it into cheesecloth and squeeze out the juice)
- 2 Tbsp. Curd or cottage cheese beaten thoroughly with 2 Tbsp. Nihari masala
- ***
- To Thicken:
- 3 Tbsp. whole wheat flour (atta)
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (for the roux)
- ***
- Enriching Step:
- 1/2 tsp. saffron soaked in 2 Tbsp. warm whole milk
- 2 tsp. Bulgarian culinary-grade rose water
- freshly-grated Nutmeg powder
- 1 Tbsp. Nihari masala
- ***
- For Garnish:
- Julienned fresh peeled ginger
- Fresh Cilantro leaves, chopped
- 3 Jalapeños, slit
- Lime wedges
- Fried crispy onions
- ***
- To Make Awadhi Sheermal Bread:
- 1 1/4 cup warm whole milk
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. crumbled saffron
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (TFD prefers to use bread flour, but A/P is authentic)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup ghee, melted
Instructions
- For the nihari spice mix: dry roast all the whole spices in a pan. Keep them aside to cool off before grinding very coarsely in the spice grinder. Wrap the masala in cheesecloth, knot and reserve.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat half the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot or handi over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and sauté for 2 minutes, or until the raw aroma dissipates.
- Brown the meat: Add the beef shank to the pot. Sear the meat for 8–10 minutes until it is well-browned on all sides.
- Add spices: Stir in the turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Continue to sauté for another minute, making sure the spices don’t burn.
- Simmer the nihari: Add the beef stock or water, the beaten curd with spices, any remaining Nihari ingredients from the Nihari portion of the ingredients list and the potli masala to the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and let it simmer for at least 6 hours, preferably 8-10, or until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender. If you want to use the traditional dum pukht method, seal the lid with a thick dough made from wheat flour and water.
- While the nihari is cooking, make the sheermal bread: Take out ¼ cup of milk and dissolve saffron in it. Set aside.
- Dissolve sugar in the rest of the 1 cup of milk.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Make a well in the center and pour in the milk sugar mixture, 2 teaspoons of saffron milk, and melted ghee. Start mixing gradually. Knead to make a soft dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized portions. Shape them into balls. Cover with a damp kitchen towel for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a baking tray or line with parchment paper. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out into a disc, about 4.5″-5″ in diameter. These should not be rolled out thin. Prick the entire surface with a fork.
- Place carefully on the prepared tray and bake for 5 minutes. Take the tray out, brush the flatbreads with saffron-infused milk. Immediately return to the oven for another 6-7 minutes or until the breads are golden and done. Try and time the breads to be done close to serving time for the nihari.
- Smear with ghee as soon as you take them out of the oven and serve warm with the nihari.
- Make the roux: Remove the pot from the heat. Skim off some of the fat and oil from the surface and reserve it in a bowl. In a separate pan, heat the remaining ghee and oil. Add the whole wheat flour and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour turns light brown and smells nutty. Add the reserved fat to the roux and stir to combine.
- Thicken the gravy: Remove the potli masala from the nihari and discard. Bring the nihari back to a simmer and slowly add the flour-and-fat roux, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Continue to cook for another 15–20 minutes until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the saffron-milk mixture, rose water water, Nihari masala and a final pinch of nutmeg powder. Serve the nihari hot, drizzled with the reserved fat and garnished with julienned ginger, cilantro, green chilies, lime wedges and fried onions.