# Authentic Pakistani Nihari With Garlic Naan

A special dish featuring Pakistani Nihari with lamb shanks and a homemade spice blend, served alongside fluffy garlic naan.

- Servings: 8 servings
- Total time: 130 min
- Cuisine: Indian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## 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

## Instructions

1. Slice red onion thinly across the grain.
2. Transfer onions to a cold pan and turn heat to medium-high to slowly cook and crisp them up.
3. Prepare 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.
4. Peel fresh ginger and mash it with garlic and a pinch of salt to create a paste.
5. Remove wilted onions from the oil and set aside.
6. Sear the lamb shanks in the flavored oil until a nice crust forms.
7. Transfer seared lamb shanks to a pressure cooker.
8. Add some of the reserved onion oil to the lamb shanks.
9. Add the prepared masala and ginger-garlic paste to the lamb.
10. Optionally add green chili for spice.
11. Cover the shanks with water, ensuring they are fully submerged.
12. Add Kashmiri red chili powder and turmeric for color and depth of flavor.
13. Add a generous amount of salt.
14. Close the pressure cooker and cook on high temperature for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
15. For the naan, mix warm water (100-110°F), active dry yeast, and sugar, then set aside to activate.
16. In a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, full-fat plain yogurt, salt, olive oil, more warm water, and the activated yeast mixture.
17. Attach the dough hook and mix on low, gradually increasing speed, for about five minutes until a smooth dough forms.
18. Scoop the dough onto a floured surface, knead a few times by hand, and form into a smooth ball.
19. Generously 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.
20. Flour a surface, pull out the doubled-in-size dough ball, and split it into eight equal portions.
21. Renee each dough ball a couple of times, pulling in the sides.
22. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet, cover them with a damp towel, and let chill for another 15 minutes.
23. Grab a dough ball, flour a rolling pin, and gently roll out the dough until it's paper-thin and almost see-through.
24. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat and lightly oil it.
25. Place the rolled-out naan dough onto the hot surface, cooking for about 90 seconds.
26. Watch for bubbles; you can poke holes if you don't want too many bubbles.
27. Flip the naan after about 30 seconds, cooking until the other side is browned.
28. Immediately transfer the cooked naan to a damp towel.
29. Prepare garlic butter by mixing softened butter with minced garlic and chopped fresh cilantro.
30. While the naan is still hot, dab the garlic butter all over it.
31. Sprinkle flaky white salt on the garlic naan.
32. Prepare the ata by toasting one cup of wheat flour on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
33. Add a little bit of water to the toasted wheat flour and swirl to combine, creating a mixture that will thicken the nihari.
34. After the nihari has cooked, pull out the meat from the pressure cooker.
35. Add the toasted wheat flour mixture (ata) to the broth and reduce it.
36. Serve the reduced broth with the lamb in a bowl.
37. Garnish with a squeeze of lime juice, fresh ginger strands, fresh cilantro, and the crispy onions saved earlier.

## Equipment

- cold pan
- pressure cooker
- stand mixer
- cutting board
- bench scraper
- dry bowl
- damp towel
- baking sheet
- rolling pin
- cast 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.

## Source

- Original video: https://youtu.be/Kt1bhZVX8mc?si=VegFdfqStVEKo5vm
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/405d3a52-663b-4cf2-90af-961921176534
- Extracted: 2026-03-07

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt