Find A Little Slice Of Heaven In This Chicken Nihari
Nihari is a mouthwatering Pakistani/Indian/Bangladeshi dish. Nihari is one of the famous royal dishes to be served during the last throes of the Mughal empire in the late 18th century. It is a fiery spicy stew made with slow-cooked meat in lots of spices. Traditionally Nihari is made with meat shank but today I am using chicken. Do give this a try!
Preparation Time: 7 – 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 – 70 minutes
Yield: Six servings
Ingredients:
1. Two pounds of chicken – washed and chopped into pieces
2. One big onion – sliced, washed, and drained
3. Two teaspoons of ginger paste
4. Two teaspoons of garlic paste
5. Half teaspoon of turmeric powder
6. one teaspoon of red chili powder
7. One teaspoon of dry ginger powder
8. One teaspoon chicken powder or Maggi chicken cube (bouillon)
9. Two teaspoons of Kashmiri red chili powder
10. Two teaspoons of lemon juice
11. Two teaspoons of salt or as per taste
12. One teaspoon of chicken curry masala powder
13. Half teaspoon of roasted coriander powder
14. Water as per your preference
15. Cilantro to garnish
Nihari Masala:
1. One tablespoon coriander seeds
2. One tablespoon fennel seeds
3. One teaspoon of cumin seeds
4. One teaspoon of black cumin seeds
5. A Quarter piece of nutmeg
6. Three black cardamom
7. Four green cardamom
8. One teaspoon of black peppercorns
9. One piece of mace
10. Six cloves
11. Two-inch long cinnamon stick
Grind all the above spices to make a powder(nihari masala)
Instructions:
1. Take a pan over a medium-high flame and add oil to it
2. Once the oil is hot, add onions in batches and deep fry them.
3. In the remaining oil (add more oil if needed), add chicken pieces
4. Saute for around ten minutes or until chicken turns slightly brown in color
5. Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for five minutes
6. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, dry ginger powder, chicken powder, lemon juice, and salt
7. Mix well and add half a cup of water
8. Saute for five minutes and turn the flame to medium
9. Add nihari masala, chicken curry masala powder, roasted coriander powder, and a half cup of water
10 Saute for five to seven minutes
11. Add four cups of water and fried onions and mix well
12. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for thirty to forty minutes
13. Switch off the flame and garnish with cilantro
Tips:
1. Add red chili powder as per your spice level
2. Add water as per your preferred consistency
3. Nihari needs more oil but you can alter the quantity of oil as per your choice
