Lamb shank stew (Nalli Nahari)

Nahari (or Nihari) is a rich stew from the Mughal era, the etymology of the word coming from Arabic, "Nahar", which means "day" or "morning". The different spellings of the word come from different regions, but refer to the same stew. Nahari was developed in the kitchens of Old Delhi, specifically Shajahanabad, where the stew was cooked slowly overnight and served as a hearty soup. It started in the royal kitchens, where it is believed that the Nawabs would finish their morning prayers and indulge in a bowl of Nahari. They would then go back to sleep until lunch (I could live this lifestyle!). It was imported from the royal kitchens to the labour class as a means of food wage for the labourers, who were fed this meal and expected to work all day.

My earliest memories of Nahari are with my paternal grandfather. We would order Nahari from the old city of Hyderabad, each of us selecting the cuts of goat we wanted. The stew would arrive with small packs of "potli" masala from the market; these would be added to the stew in muslin bags and simmered for a few hours. On the breakfast table were eyeballs, heart, tongue, lung, trotters and more, floating in a rich aromatic broth, and piles of sheermal bread alongside. We would scoop out the pieces we wanted, mine was always the tongue and trotters, and dig in, a hearty breakfast indeed.

Nahari has many styles depending on the region where it is served. Here are some of the most common, with lots more variations in other regions. Most Nahari are made with goat shanks or trotters.

• Delhi: A deep broth that is spicy and red in colour from the liberal use of chilli oil (Tari). Usually made with shank.

• Lucknow: A mild version rich in aromatics and more aromatic. It is yellow-gold in colour. can be made with goat shank or trotters.

• Hyderabad: This is a rich version usually made with trotters, eyeballs, tongue and other organs. This is the only version that uses poyli masala.

• Karachi, Pakistan: The richest version and again very spicy.

Compared with the lovely golden stew I made, commercial nahari is dark in colour. I was talking to my dear friend Ishmeet Singh Chandiok, a restaurateur in Bangalore, and he mentioned that the dark colour is achieved by browning  wholewheat flour atta) flour in a roux. This is a restaurant shortcut to achieve the thickened consistency, rather than the long simmer. But familial recipes also use the roux in their recipes. It can generally, and very generally, be assumed that a lamb shank Nahari will be made with roux, while the trotter version does not use a roux; instead, the shorba is naturally thickened from the extraction of gelatin from the cartilage that is slowly simmered.

So what is Potl masala? Potli means "bag" or "package", one that is filled with herbs and spices. The most important are vetiver root (khas ki jadd), stone flower (pathar ki phool), betel root (Paan ki jadd), with mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and dried rose petals, to mention just a few. It is a complex spice blend used to add aroma to the stew. Generally, the herbs and spices are tied in a muslin cloth, added to the stew, and simmered for 30 minutes to 3 hours to infuse the stew with characteristic flavours. The potliis removed and discarded. This allows a controlled infusion and gives a clear shorba for the stew.

I had been craving Nahari for quite a while, and although summer is here, I decided to make this stew. I used goat shanks and sourced the potli masala; it was much easier than hunting down the many ingredients.

The stew was cooked for 2 hours, with about a 30-minute infusion of the potli towards the end. The stew was rich, the gelatins from the shanks solubilising and giving the gravy a gel-like feel that is delicious.

I did love this Nahari, the flavours aromatic with a mild heat on the after palate. The stew is sticky from the gelatin and thickened, clinging to the tender meat. I served it was butter naan, soft and also rich, slowly sopping up the stew. I am so glad I made extra; the leftovers taste even better the next day!

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 onions, finely sliced

2 tablespoons oil

6 tablespoons mustard oil

6 tablespoons oil

4 black caradmom pods

6 cloves

3 inches of cinnamon stick, broken in half

3 tablespoons ginger paste

15 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons ground coriander seeds

1-2 teaspoons chilli powder, or to taste

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup full-cream yoghurt

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon pepper

8 lamb shanks

8 cups water or lamb stock

Potli masala

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the first batch of onions and fry on medium-low heat until the onions are caramelised and golden in colour. You want the onions to turn a "nice" brown and caramelise, taking on a sweetness from this process. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pound or blitz to a smooth paste, and set aside.

Heat the two oils in a deep pot. Add the full spices, black cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon and temper on medium heat until the cinnamon turns a shade darker. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and cook for 1 minute until the ginger no longer smells raw.

Add the onions and fry until they have turned a lovely caramel colour, about 7-10 minutes. Add the spices, coriander, chilli and turmeric and toss well in the onion mix, allowing the spices to bloom. Add the yoghurt and cook until it thickens into a sauce and the oil has released from the curry, floating on top.

Add the meat and cook for 10 minutes, tossing well to coat the shanks with the spices and seal the meat. Add the water or stock, salt enough to cover the meat completely, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring the ingredients occasionally.

Add the potli masala and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the potli, squeeze out the curry, and discard. taste for salt and adjust as needed. The curry should have thickened, and the meat should be fork-tender.

Serve hot with butter naan or sheermal.