Mutton nihari is usually made with large mutton pieces. It is slow-cooked along with a lot of aromatic Indian spices, onion, ginger, garlic and whisked yogurt. The steps to make mutton nihari at home are elaborate but easy to follow, as you will realize reading my recipe.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Mutton nihari is a very popular recipe in India.
- Serve it hot with plain roti, tandoori roti, naan, or paratha.
- Mutton nihari tastes rich, earthy, and slightly spicy.
- Other similar recipes are mutton korma, mutton rogan josh, mutton kasha, mutton curry, and mutton stew.
The Ingredients:
- 1 kg mutton (large pieces)
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp cloves
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 pieces black cardamom
- 2 inch cinnamon (broken in smaller pieces)
- ½ piece nutmeg
- 2 maces
- 2 pieces bay leaves (torn)
- 1 tsp dried ginger powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1.5 tsp red chili powder
- ¾ cup cooking oil
- 2 pieces onions (medium-sized, sliced)
- 3 tbsp wheat flour (atta)
- 5½ cups water
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ cup yogurt (whisked)
- 1 tsp salt
- Coriander leaves (finely chopped, as required for garnishing)
- Green chilies (finely chopped, as required for garnishing)
- Ginger juliennes (as required for garnishing)
- Lemon juice (as required for garnishing)
I learned this recipe from a part-time cook I hired temporarily during illness. She used to prepare this often for herself and offered to make it for us one afternoon. We loved it. I wanted to learn it and asked whether she would teach me before she left the job. She happily did.
I tried it later on my own, and my husband said it tasted just like hers. The boys liked the homely touch. Now, this is our recovery-week dish. It reminds me how food prepared from humble hands can become healing—both for body and spirit.
How to Make Mutton Nihari? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take 1 kg of mutton (large pieces), wash them nicely and keep them in a bowl or a strainer aside to dry.
Step 2: Now, heat a pan on medium flame and dry roast 1 tbsp of coriander seeds, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of fennel seeds, ½ tsp of cloves, 1 tsp of black pepper, 3 pieces of black cardamom, a 2-inch stick of cinnamon (broken in smaller pieces), ½ piece of nutmeg, 2 maces, and 2 pieces of bay leaves (torn). Roast them for about two minutes until you smell their aroma. Transfer them onto a plate, spread them, and let them cool down a bit before grinding. When they have cooled down, transfer them to a mixer and make a smooth powder of the roasted spices.
(Pro tip: The rich fragrance of the dry-roasted masala gives the mutton nihari its distinct, delicious flavor).
Step 3: Now, to these powdered spices, add 1 tsp of dried ginger powder, 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, and 1.5 tsp of red chili powder, and mix them all nicely and keep the plate aside.
Step 4: Now, heat ¾ cup of cooking oil in a pressure cooker. When it is hot, add thin slices of 2 medium-sized onions in it. Stir and fry the onion until they turn golden brown in color. Remove them on a plate and keep them aside.
Step 5: Transfer the fried onions to a mixer when they have cooled down.
Step 6: Now, heat a tawa on a medium flame and put 3 tbsp of wheat flour (atta) when it is hot. Stir continuously to fry it for about 2 to 3 minutes until you notice a slight change in color.
Step 7: Transfer the roasted atta to the mixer and add ½ cup of water to it. Make a paste of it. Check the consistency and keep it aside.
Step 8: Now, heat the oil that is left in the pressure cooker after frying onions. Add the mutton pieces to it.
Step 9: Stir continuously and fry the mutton on a high flame until it changes its color as shown in the image below. Now, add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste to it and mix it nicely.
Step 10: When the raw smell of ginger and garlic is gone, add the powdered spices. Mix the spices nicely with the mutton pieces and fry it on a medium flame for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 11: When the oil separates, turn the flame of the gas stove to low and add ½ cup of whisked yogurt to it. Mix it nicely and cook for another couple of minutes.
Step 12: Then, add 1 tsp of salt to it. Now, turn the flame to medium and mix the salt nicely with the mutton.
Step 13: Now, add 5 cups of water to it, close the lid of the pressure cooker, and let it cook on a medium flame for about 40 to 45 minutes or 6 to 7 whistles. Switch off the gas stove when done and let the pressure cooker sit until it cools down.
Step 14: Now, remove the lid of the pressure cooker. Remove as much rogan (oil or fat) as possible that is floating on top of the nihari.
Step 15: Then, add the onion and atta mixture to it and mix it nicely. Now, switch on the gas stove. Stir the nihari continuously and let it cook on a medium flame, without the cover this time. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring and let it cook further for about 5 more minutes.
Step 16: Check the doneness and the consistency of the gravy. If you think it is just perfect as you want, switch off the gas stove, or let it cook for some more time if you want a thicker gravy. When done, transfer the mutton nihari to a serving bowl. Add a bit of the rogan on top.
Step 17: Your tasty and spicy homemade mutton nihari is finally ready. Garnish it with a few finely chopped coriander leaves and green chilies. Also, add a few ginger juliennes along with a dash of lemon juice. Enjoy it hot with roti or paratha.
Recipe Card
Mutton Nihari
Ingredients
- 1 kg mutton large pieces
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp cloves
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 pieces black cardamom
- 2 inch cinnamon broken in smaller pieces
- ½ piece nutmeg
- 2 maces
- 2 pieces bay leaves torn
- 1 tsp dried ginger powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1.5 tsp red chili powder
- ¾ cup cooking oil
- 2 pieces onions medium-sized, sliced
- 3 tbsp wheat flour atta
- 5½ cups water
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ cup yogurt whisked
- 1 tsp salt
- Coriander leaves finely chopped, as required for garnishing
- Green chilies finely chopped, as required for garnishing
- Ginger juliennes as required for garnishing
- Lemon juice as required for garnishing
Instructions
- Take 1 kg of mutton (large pieces), wash them nicely and keep in a bowl or a strainer aside to dry.
- Now, heat a pan on medium flame and dry roast 1 tbsp of coriander seeds, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of fennel seeds, ½ tsp of cloves, 1 tsp of black pepper, 3 pieces of black cardamom, 2-inch stick of cinnamon (broken in smaller pieces), ½ piece of nutmeg, 2 maces, and 2 pieces of bay leaves (torn). Roast them for about two minutes until you smell their aroma. Transfer them onto a plate, spread them and let them cool down a bit before grinding. When they have cooled down, transfer them to a mixer and make a smooth powder of the roasted spices. (Pro tip: The rich fragrance of the dry-roasted masala gives the mutton nihari its distinct, delicious flavor).
- Now, to these powder spices, add 1 tsp of dried ginger powder, 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, 1.5 tsp of red chili powder and mix them all nicely and keep the plate aside.
- Now, heat ¾ cup of cooking oil in a pressure cooker. When it is hot, add thin slices of 2 medium-sized onions in it. Stir and fry the onion until they turn golden brown in color. Remove them on a plate and keep aside.
- Transfer the fried onions to a mixer when they have cooled down.
- Now, heat a tawa on a medium flame and put 3 tbsp of wheat flour (atta) when it is hot. Stir continuously to fry it for about 2 to 3 minutes until you notice a slight change in color.
- Transfer the roasted atta to the mixer and add ½ cup of water to it. Make a paste of it. Check the consistency and keep it aside.
- Now, heat the oil that is left in the pressure cooker after frying onions. Add the mutton pieces to it.
- Stir continuously and fry the mutton on a high flame until it changes its color as shown in the image below. Now, add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste to it and mix it nicely.
- When the raw smell of ginger and garlic is gone, add the powdered spices. Mix the spices nicely with the mutton pieces and fry it on a medium flame for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- When the oil separates, turn the flame of the gas stove to low and add ½ cup of whisked yogurt to it. Mix it nicely and cook for another couple of minutes.
- Then, add 1 tsp of salt to it. Now, turn the flame to medium and mix the salt nicely with the mutton.
- Now, add 5 cups of water to it, close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook on a medium flame for about 40 to 45 minutes or 6 to 7 whistles. Switch off the gas stove when done and let the pressure cooker sit until it cools down.
- Now, remove the lid of the pressure cooker. Remove as much rogan (oil or fat) as possible that is floating on top of the nihari.
- Then, add the onion and atta mixture to it and mix it nicely. Now, switch on the gas stove. Stir the nihari continuously and let it cook on a medium flame, without the cover this time. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring and let it cook further for about 5 more minutes.
- Check the doneness and the consistency of the gravy. If you think it is just perfect as you want, switch off the gas stove or let it cook for some more time if you want a thicker gravy. When done, transfer the mutton nihari to a serving bowl. Add a bit of the rogan on top.
- Your tasty and spicy homemade mutton nihari is finally ready. Garnish it with a few finely chopped coriander leaves and green chilies. Also, add a few ginger juliennes along with a dash of lemon juice. Enjoy it hot with roti or paratha.
