A stew that consists of slow cooked meat and bone marrow, nihari is an explosion of robust meaty flavours in the mouth. The soft meat, along with spiced stew and chillies, is eaten with the delicate khamiri roti that is made in a clay oven.

It is said the recipe of nihari dates back to the 17th or 18th century. Nihari draws an Indo-Persian influence that was brought in by the Mughals. In fact, the word ‘nihari’ comes from the Arabic word ‘nahar’, meaning morning. Legend has it that during the Mughal period, nihari was eaten as a breakfast dish by Nawabs after their prayers (fajr). Eventually, this meaty dish trickled down to the army personnel and Mughal soldiers started consuming it for energy-boosting purposes. It is said that it was cooked in large pots overnight and served to the labourers and soldiers for free in the morning.

A unique aspect of this breakfast item is that if a portion of the leftover nihari (taar) is added to the dish prepared the next day, it adds a distinct and delicious flavour to it. This practice can be traced back to over a century ago!