Directions
- 1Slice red onion thinly across the grain.
- 2Transfer onions to a cold pan and turn heat to medium-high to slowly cook and crisp them up.
- 3Prepare the masala by combining cardamom, clove, black peppercorn, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, fennel seed, coriander seed, and caraway in a blender and pulsing until mixed.
- 4Peel fresh ginger and mash it with garlic and a pinch of salt to create a paste.
- 5Remove wilted onions from the oil and set aside.
- 6Sear the lamb shanks in the flavored oil until a nice crust forms.
- 7Transfer seared lamb shanks to a pressure cooker.
- 8Add some of the reserved onion oil to the lamb shanks.
- 9Add the prepared masala and ginger-garlic paste to the lamb.
- 10Optionally add green chili for spice.
- 11Cover the shanks with water, ensuring they are fully submerged.
- 12Add Kashmiri red chili powder and turmeric for color and depth of flavor.
- 13Add a generous amount of salt.
- 14Close the pressure cooker and cook on high temperature for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- 15For the naan, mix warm water (100-110°F), active dry yeast, and sugar, then set aside to activate.
- 16In a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, full-fat plain yogurt, salt, olive oil, more warm water, and the activated yeast mixture.
- 17Attach the dough hook and mix on low, gradually increasing speed, for about five minutes until a smooth dough forms.
- 18Scoop the dough onto a floured surface, knead a few times by hand, and form into a smooth ball.
- 19Generously oil a dry bowl, transfer the dough ball, cover with a damp towel, and let sit for at least 30 minutes to an hour until it puffs up.
- 20Flour a surface, pull out the doubled-in-size dough ball, and split it into eight equal portions.
- 21Renee each dough ball a couple of times, pulling in the sides.
- 22Place the dough balls on a baking sheet, cover them with a damp towel, and let chill for another 15 minutes.
- 23Grab a dough ball, flour a rolling pin, and gently roll out the dough until it's paper-thin and almost see-through.
- 24Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat and lightly oil it.
- 25Place the rolled-out naan dough onto the hot surface, cooking for about 90 seconds.
- 26Watch for bubbles; you can poke holes if you don't want too many bubbles.
- 27Flip the naan after about 30 seconds, cooking until the other side is browned.
- 28Immediately transfer the cooked naan to a damp towel.
- 29Prepare garlic butter by mixing softened butter with minced garlic and chopped fresh cilantro.
- 30While the naan is still hot, dab the garlic butter all over it.
- 31Sprinkle flaky white salt on the garlic naan.
- 32Prepare the ata by toasting one cup of wheat flour on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- 33Add a little bit of water to the toasted wheat flour and swirl to combine, creating a mixture that will thicken the nihari.
- 34After the nihari has cooked, pull out the meat from the pressure cooker.
- 35Add the toasted wheat flour mixture (ata) to the broth and reduce it.
- 36Serve the reduced broth with the lamb in a bowl.
- 37Garnish with a squeeze of lime juice, fresh ginger strands, fresh cilantro, and the crispy onions saved earlier.
Ingredients
- 4 large lamb shanks
- 2 large red onions
- 0.33 cup neutral oil
- 10 cloves garlic cloves
- 2 inches ginger, peeled
- 2 green chilis
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 12 cloves cardamom cloves
- 8 cloves
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 2 tsp fennel seed
- 2 tsp coriander seed
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp Mace
- 4 cloves black cardamom
- 1 tsp all spice berries
- 3 tbsp Salt
- 1 cup wheat flour, toasted
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 Lime
- 1 cilantro
- 1 ginger strands
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbs warm water
- 3 cups flour
- 1.5 cup plain yogurt
- 23 cup warm water
- 0.25 cup olive oil
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 4 tbs butter
- 3 cloves garlic cloves
- 3 tbs fresh cilantro/coriander
Equipment
cold panpressure cookerstand mixercutting boardbench scraperdry bowldamp towelbaking sheetrolling pincast iron skillet
Tips
- Cook the onion in the beginning to flavor the oil, adding to a cold pan and turning on medium-high heat to slowly cook.
- Sear the lamb shanks to get a nice crust and develop more depth.
- Make your own masala spice mix for a significant flavor difference.
- Measure ginger and garlic by the handful for a robust paste.
- The yogurt is crucial for making naan naan.
- For the naan dough, knead for about five minutes until smooth, then adjust with flour if too sticky.
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