Nihari: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Meat stew originating in the Indian subcontinent}}

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'''Nihari''' ({{Langx|hi|निहारी}}; {{langx|bn|নিহারী}}; {{Langx|ur|{{Script|Nastaliq|نہاری}}}}) is a [[stew]] originating in [[Lucknow]], the capital of 18th-century [[Oudh State|Awadh]] under the [[Mughal Empire]] in the [[Indian subcontinent]]. It consists of slow-cooked meat, mainly a [[Shank (meat)|shank cut]] of [[beef]], [[lamb and mutton]], or [[goat meat]], as well as [[Chicken as food|chicken]] and [[Bone marrow (food)|bone marrow]]. It is flavoured with [[Long pepper#Usage|long pepper]] ({{Transliteration|hi|pippali}}), a relative of [[black pepper]]. In [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]], nihari is often served and consumed with [[naan]].

== Etymology ==

The name {{Transliteration|hi|nihari}} originates from [[Arabic]] ''{{Transliteration|ar|nahâr}}'' ({{Langx|ar|نهار|label=none}}), meaning "morning"; it was originally eaten by [[nawab]]s in the [[Mughal Empire]] as a breakfast course following [[Fajr prayer]].

==History==

According to many sources, nihari originated in the royal kitchens of [[Lucknow]], [[Oudh State|Awadh]] (modern-day [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]), in the late 18th century, during the last throes of the [[Mughal Empire]]. It was originally meant to be consumed as a heavy, high-energy breakfast dish on an empty stomach by working-class citizens, particularly in colder climates and seasons. However, the dish later gained a significant amount of popularity and eventually became a staple of the royal cuisine of Mughal-era [[nawab]]s.

==Popularity==

Nihari is a traditional dish among the [[Islam in India|Indian Muslim]] communities of [[Lucknow]], [[Delhi]], and [[Bhopal]]. Following the [[partition of India]] in 1947, many [[Mahajir (Pakistan)|Urdu-speaking Muslims]] from [[North India|northern India]] migrated to [[Karachi]] in [[West Pakistan]] and [[Dhaka]] in [[East Pakistan]], and established a number of restaurants serving the dish. In Karachi, nihari became a large-scale success and soon spread in prominence and availability across [[Pakistan]].

In some restaurants, a few kilograms from each day's leftover nihari is added to the next day's pot; this reused portion of the dish is known as {{Transliteration|hi|taar}} and is believed to provide a unique flavour. Some nihari outlets in [[Old Delhi]] claim to have kept an unbroken cycle of ''{{Transliteration|hi|taar}}'' going for more than a century.

==Medicinal remedies==

Nihari is also used as a [[Traditional medicine#Home remedies|home remedy]] for [[fever]], [[rhinorrhea]], and the [[common cold]].

==See also==

{{Portal|India|Food}}

*[[List of stews]]

{{India topics}}

{{Indian Dishes}}

[[Category:South Asian curries]]

[[Category:National dishes]]