Easy to make at home, Nihari masala is a burst of warm spices
Nihari is a Pakistani curry, popular in muslim cuisine served on special occasions. It is a slow cooked stew-like curry made with beef, goat or even chicken flavored with an abundance of warm spices. The gravy is perfect for soaking up with breads, naans or rice. It is typically cooked long and slow for hours till the meat is fully cooked and is falling off the bones. Garnished with ginger, lemon and coriander to bring a burst of freshness. See separate post for Nihari curry recipe. With all the warm spices and slow cooked meats, its a hearty winter curry that sticks to your ribs!
You can’t make Nihari without the powder Nihari masalas, it is what gives nihari its flavors. While you can buy premade Nihari powder mixes at the stores, it can be easy to make it home as well. Many people don’t attempt to make Nihari curry at home because of not having the Nihari masala powder readily available. But it can absolutely be made at home. Yes it does have many ingredients, however most of the needed whole spices are typically available in most Indian pantries. Its very easy to make!
This recipe is for the nihari powder masala which requires no roasting or cooking. The masala will cook with the Nihari curry so no need to cook the spices beforehand. Simply measure out the whole spices, grind them together into a powder. Store in an air tight container for up to six months. Having this spice mix available will allow you to skip that step when making the curry.
Time: 5 mins
Makes: 1 1/4 cup of masala powder
Level of difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp Fennel seeds (waryari)
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tbs cloves (lavang)
- 3 tbsp Javetri or Mace
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick (taj)
- 1 whole nutmeg (jaifer)
- 6 green cardamom pods (elaichi)
- 4 black large cardamom pods(elcho)
Method:
- In a spice mill, grind together all the ingredients into a powder.
- Store in a tight sealed jar in the pantry.
- Ready to use to make Nihari curry!
- Be sure everything is dry including spice mill and utensils. Moisture will make the powder go bad quicker.
- Also ensure it is stored in a tight sealed container to preserve the fragrance of the spices. The longer it sits on the shelf, the spices will lose its flavor and fragrance. Ideally, use it up in 6 months or sooner.