Kathal Nihari: A Vegetarian Nihari

The Morning Stew

The name nihari comes from the Arabic nahar, meaning day or morning. Traditionally it is a stew cooked slowly through the night and eaten after the dawn prayer, and in Old Delhi and Lucknow the nihari shops still open early for exactly that reason. The gravy is deep, spiced and glossy, made to be mopped up with bread.

Why Jackfruit

Young, unripe jackfruit — kathal in Hindi — has a fibrous, meaty texture and very little flavour of its own, which is why Indian vegetarian kitchens have long cooked it in the style of meat dishes. It soaks up a gravy the way meat does.

Our menu describes it as slow-cooked kathal simmered in rich, aromatic nihari gravy. Because it depends on fresh jackfruit, it is a seasonal dish, and the same is true of our Kathal Biryani.

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