The subcontinent's famous overnight curry, with the bones as the main event

Nihari is the slow-cooked breakfast curry of Old Delhi and Lahore — traditionally left to blip away all night so the meat and marrow collapse into a deep, silky, spice-laden gravy you scoop up with warm naan. This version keeps the bones front and centre. They give up their marrow and gelatine into the sauce, which is thickened the proper way with a little toasted flour, and the whole pot is finished with ginger, chilli and fresh coriander in the last five minutes. It's a project, no pretending otherwise. But it's the kind of pot people remember.

4 hrs 25 mins 4 servings Prep 25 minsCook 4 hrsMain CoursePakistani

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg Your Farmer lamb bones (marrow bones if you can pick them out)
  • 60ml vegetable oil or ghee
  • 2 large brown onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp ground fennel
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or 1/2 tsp regular chilli)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 litres cold water
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • Salt to season
  • To finish: fresh ginger cut into matchsticks, 1 long green chilli sliced, fresh coriander, lemon wedges and warm naan

Instructions

Heat the oil or ghee in your biggest heavy pot over medium heat and cook the onions for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown — this slow browning is the backbone of the colour and flavour.

60ml oil or ghee2 onions

Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the fennel, coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

2 tbsp ginger4 cloves garlic

Add the bones and turn them through the spiced onions for 2 to 3 minutes to coat. Pour in the water, bring to a gentle simmer and skim off any foam that rises in the first 10 minutes.

1.5kg lamb bones2L cold water

Partly cover and simmer very gently for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the gravy is rich and any meat on the bones is falling away. Top up with a little hot water if it reduces too far.

In a dry frying pan, toast the flour over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until it smells nutty and turns pale gold. Whisk it into a mugful of cold water until smooth, then stir this slurry into the simmering pot; it will thicken the gravy to a silky, glossy consistency over 10 minutes.

3 tbsp plain flour

Stir in the garam masala and season with salt. Lift the bones onto a plate, push out the soft marrow with the handle of a spoon and stir it back into the gravy; return any meat too.

1 tsp garam masala

Ladle into bowls and top generously with ginger matchsticks, sliced green chilli and coriander. Serve with lemon wedges and plenty of warm naan for scooping.

gingergreen chillicoriandernaan

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A Curry Built on the Bone

Nihari is one of the great slow-cooked dishes of the subcontinent, born as an overnight breakfast curry and prized for a gravy so rich it clings to the spoon. What makes it work is time and the bones themselves. Over a long, gentle simmer, the marrow softens and the connective tissue melts into gelatine, and both dissolve into the sauce to give it that famous silky, glossy body — this is a dish where the bones aren't a means to a stock, they're the main event. The other trick is the toasted flour: browning it dry in a pan first deepens its flavour and lets it thicken the gravy without any raw, pasty taste. A generous bag of Your Farmer® grass-fed lamb bones, ideally with some marrow-heavy pieces, is what carries the whole pot.

Swaps and Variations

Traditional nihari uses a dedicated masala blend heavy on fennel and long pepper; the spice mix here is an accessible version, and a tablespoon of a shop-bought nihari masala can stand in for the ground spices if you find one. For a meatier, faster pot, add a couple of forequarter chops or diced lamb with the bones — you'll get more to eat and can cut the simmer to around 2 hours. Beef bones and shin make an equally authentic version, as beef nihari is just as traditional; give them a little longer again. A pinch of saffron or a few drops of kewra water in the last minutes is the restaurant flourish.

Storage and Leftovers

Like most spiced braises, nihari is better the next day once the flavours have married and the gravy has set and been gently loosened again. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes for up to 3 months; reheat slowly with a splash of water, as the flour-thickened gravy can catch. Leftover idea: reduce any spare gravy right down and use it as a deeply savoury base for a quick lamb keema or to sauce a bowl of rice. Warm naan on the day, every day — it's the proper way in.

The bones are one tick on the order form of our lamb subscription — the add-on that becomes a curry worth the wait.

Frequently asked questions

Is nihari very spicy?

It's aromatic and warming rather than fiery, especially if you use Kashmiri chilli, which brings colour more than heat. The fresh green chilli goes on top at the end, so each person can add as much or as little as they like.

What does the toasted flour actually do?

It thickens the gravy to nihari's signature silky, glossy texture. Toasting it dry first cooks off the raw, pasty flavour and adds a nutty depth, and whisking it into cold water before it goes in stops it forming lumps.

Can I make it in a slow cooker?

Yes — brown the onions and bloom the spices in a pan first, then transfer everything except the flour slurry and finishing garnishes to the slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours. Stir in the toasted-flour slurry on the stove at the end to thicken.

I can't get marrow bones. Will it still work?

Yes. Any mix of lamb bones gives you gelatine and flavour; the marrow is a bonus that adds extra richness. If your bones are lean, a little extra ghee at the start will make up some of the body.

Can I use beef bones instead of lamb?

Absolutely — beef nihari is every bit as traditional. Use beef bones and a piece of shin if you can, give the pot a little longer to break down, and finish it exactly the same way.

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