🍖 Nihari & Haleem at Home: Slow-Cooked Classics Guide (2026)

Nihari and haleem are the ultimate slow-cooked treasures of South Asian cuisine — nihari, a rich overnight beef stew from Old Delhi; haleem, a hearty wheat-lentil-meat porridge beloved in Ramadan. Both reward patience with unforgettable depth.

Nihari (serves 6)

• 1 kg beef shank, 1 cup oil/ghee
• 2 tbsp nihari masala, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 3 tbsp wheat flour slurry for thickening

Method: Brown meat in ghee, add spices and 6 cups water. Simmer on the lowest heat 5-6 hours (or overnight) until meat falls apart. Stir in flour slurry, simmer 20 minutes. Garnish: ginger juliennes, green chilies, coriander, lemon.

Haleem (serves 8)

• 500g boneless beef/mutton, 1 cup wheat (soaked overnight), 1/2 cup each: chana dal, masoor, moong
• 1 tbsp each: ginger-garlic paste, haleem masala

Method: Cook meat with spices until tender; separately cook wheat and dals until mushy. Combine and pound/mash together 30 minutes until stringy and smooth. Temper with fried onions. Garnish: fried onions, mint, lemon, chaat masala.

Tips

• Low and slow is everything — never rush these dishes.
• Haleem's texture should stretch — keep pounding.
• Both taste even better the next day.

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