Nalli Nihari / Paya Nihari

Nalli Nihari is one of the famous recipes from Luckhnow, made with the leg pieces of lamb, they are cooked in special spices.

Nahari should be cooked on low heat for long, and the curry has to be sticky, the longer you cook the stickier it is.

It is served with Kulcha.

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hours

Serving: 4

Ingredients

• Nalli/Paya/ Lamb leg pieces 4 paya or 1/2 kg
• Onion 4 onions for boiling with nalli , 1 for grind, 2 for frying
• Ginger-garlic paste 2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon for boiling lamb and 1/2 teaspoon for spice
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil 3/4 cup
• Bay leaf 2
• Cinnamon stick 1/2 inch piece
• Tomato 1
• Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
• Cardamom green 2
• Cardamom brown 1
• Cloves 5
• Nutmeg small pinch
• Mace 1/4 teaspoon
• Black pepper 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilly powder 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder for garnish

Method:

1. Clean, wash the lamb leg pieces.
2. Take pressure cooker and add lamb leg pieces, diced onion, turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup mustard oil, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and 1 –1/2  glass of water.
3. Close the lid and pressure cook it on high heat for one whistle then low the flame and cook for another 45 minutes.
4. Switch off the flame and let the pressure settles down.
5. Open cooker and mash the onion with spatula. You will feel the gravy is thick enough. Keep it aside.
6. Grind cumin seeds, black pepper, cloves, cardamom green, cardamom brown, Mace, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 diced onion, cinnamon stick along with 2 tablespoon water to make fine paste.        
7. Heat the non stick pan with remaining 1/2 cup oil and temper with bay leaf.
8. Add chopped onions in the pan and fry it till light golden in color. 
9. Add ground paste in the wok.
10. Add chopped tomato, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. 
11. Cook the spices on low flame till oil shows separately.
12. Add cooked spices into the pressure cooker along with a glass of water. Mix it well. 
13. Check salt, if needed add more salt.
14. Pressure cook it for one whistle on high flame, then cook for another 10 minutes on low flame.
15. Switch off the flame, let the pressure settle down.  
16. Garnish with coriander leaves. 
17. Serve hot with chapatti, kulcha or naan etc.