Nihari (Beef Stew)

Nihari is no joke when you are from Karachi City, Pakistan. Just check out this YouTube video about the "5 Must Visit Nihari Places in Karachi":

Nihari was a special treat when growing up in Karachi City, Pakistan, and Faisal cannot remember ever making it at home until he arrived in the U.S. Fridays, like Sundays in America, were off days from school and work. The whole family would load up in the car and drive about 30 minutes to a restaurant called Sabri, a "Mom & Pop" type of place known for having the best Nihari around. Maybe that YouTube video was supposed to be about the Top 6 Nihari Places in Karachi and they left out #1? Lines were long to order at Sabri, but the Nihari would be served quickly on shallow steel plates. Maybe you would have to wait a few extra minutes for a fluffy naan to go with it, but you needed it to sop up the flavorful gravy, and it was always worth the wait. 

Homeless folks would hang out around the restaurant and patrons entering or leaving Sabri would often purchase Nihari to share with them.

Sabri Nihari is so popular, that there were copycats that opened restaurants in Chicago and Houston, although the Houston location has gone out of business. 

If you like Carne Guisada, then you are sure to enjoy Nihari. Flavors are different, but tender cuts of beef in a flavorful gravy are sure to please your palate. Low and slow is key! Check out my Sabri Nihari rendition below:

insert photos of ingredients 

Nihari (Beef Stew)
t = teaspoons; T = Tablespoons

2# lean beef stew meat, tenderized OR boneless beef ribs cut in ½” cubes

1 box Shan Nihari

2 T + 1 t vegetable oil

1 t Kashmiri chili powder

1 small red onion, sliced in rounds

4 c water

2 heaping large spoonfuls of wheat flour

For garnish:

Chopped cilantro

Chopped ginger

Chopped Indian peppers

Chopped green bell pepper

Lime juice

Heat 2T oil in pot, add beef, Shan Nihari, and chili powder. Cook on high heat, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 cup water. Lower to medium. Cover. Cook 20-25 minutes, checking and stirring every 5 minutes. Taste a piece of meat to see if tender. Combine 2 cups water and wheat flour. Turn heat to high. Add flour/water mixture to pot while stirring constantly. Add 1 cup water to empty flour/water bowl and add to pot, stirring constantly. Stir 2-3 minutes. Lower to medium heat. Cover, cook 15 minutes, checking every 2-3 minutes and stirring. While the stew is cooking, start another pan with 1 t vegetable oil to sauté the red onion slices until brown. Add onion to stew pot when 20-25 minutes cooking is done, do not stir. Turn off heat, cover for 5 minutes, then stir and serve. Add garnishes, serve with warm naan.

Keema (Indian Picadillo)

This is a long recipe, but do not be frightened by the ingredient list. It is very easy to cook! This particular recipe brings back childhood memories for Faisal of being at his grandmother's house, sleeping in on the weekends, and being awakened to the smell of freshly made tortillas and the Keema cooking on the stove. 

Indians call this Keema, but I call it Indian Picadillo because it resembles the Mexican Picadillo meat that you will often find here in Texas at pretty much any Mexican restaurant. Because of the ground meat, tomato, potatoes and cilantro, it feels like "home," but with a very different flavor, and maybe even a lot more spice - no salsa needed! I often fill warm tortillas with the Keema and eat tacos. Faisal and his Mom like to just serve it in a bowl and eat it with a toasted roll or fluffy naan. I hope you enjoy!

Keema (Indian Picadillo)
t = teaspoons; T = Tablespoons

1# 90/10 ground sirloin (we like to use the chubs)

1 t vegetable oil

1 small red onion, sliced in rounds

1 big russet potato (or 2 small), peeled & chopped into ½” pieces

1 t garlic paste

1 t ginger paste

1 t Kashmiri Chile Powder (I call this Indian Cayenne)

¼ t turmeric

1 t coriander powder

½ t garam masala

1 t Keema Masala (Shan brand)

4 garlic cloves

1 tomato

1” piece of ginger, peeled

1 t cumin seeds

3 Indian green peppers

¾ cup water

2 medium chopped poblano peppers (use more or less depending on your taste)

½ bunch chopped cilantro

Salt as needed (there’s salt in the masalas)

Brown sirloin in heavy pot, drain. Add vegetable oil to pot and add red onion. Cook until slightly brown, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and beef back to pot. Stir. Add spices (garlic paste to Keema Masala). Blend garlic cloves, tomato, ginger, cumin seeds, and 3 peppers. Add the blended ingredients to the pan. Add water to blender to rinse sides and add to pot. Bring to a boil for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Turn down heat to medium, cover, cook 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Open, stir, add chopped poblano and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 10 mins. Add the cilantro, stir. Turn off heat, cover for 5 minutes. Serve with warm tortillas or naan. Freezes well.

Far East Fare

These recipes come from my fiance's Mother, Amina, who is Indian. She has all of these recipes in her head, so getting them onto paper and tasting the right way was my biggest challenge. She took a trip last year to Dubai, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and was gone for over 4 months. So, before she left, I sat down with her and my fiance, Faisal, to get some of my favorite recipes from her. She dictated them in Memon (pronounced "may-mon"), my fiance translated them into English, and I typed them up. Then, I spent the 4 months that she was gone tweaking the recipes, trying to make sense of her process and cooking times, and making them healthier. For instance, she usually does not drain the grease from the sirloin in the Keema recipe, and she uses about 4 times the amount of oil to brown the onion. These recipes are healthier versions, as I have eliminated most of the oil and grease from them, which I think everyone and their arteries appreciates! You'll also notice a lack of salt in these recipes - please season them to taste. There is salt already in most of the masala mixes, and Faisal does not care for any added salt, so I leave it out and I just add it to my own after plating.

I love all the fresh ingredients that are used in these recipes. Aside from maybe a can of garbanzo beans, you are not likely to see any canned or frozen ingredients in any of these recipes. I use organic produce when I can. Fresh produce and meat are key to a tasty dish!

The ingredient lists in Indian cooking are usually pretty long, as are the cooking times, but the difficulty level is easy and it is always worth it! Indian cooking is very fragrant and made with a lot of spicy ingredients. Short of the pre-made masalas, you can tailor the spice level to better suit your taste buds by adding or deleting peppers and other spice amounts, such as the kashmiri. It is important to have proper ventilation when cooking these recipes, unless you want your home to smell like an Indian market for days! 

I get most of my ingredients, such as the Shan mixes, kashmiri, garam masala, and Indian green peppers from the local Middle Eastern grocer, Ali Baba. They also usually have some pretty great deals on other produce, spices, and herbs; freshly butchered Halal meats and poultry; and housemade pita and naan breads. Several of the recipes only call for small amounts of some of the mixes and not the entire box (e.g., vegetable curry, keema), so I usually transfer the ones I frequently use small amounts of to a labeled jar for easier access and measuring.