Nihari Ravioli

perhaps my most controversial post to date

When developing the menu for the Pakistani food week in Prague, I knew I wanted at least a few dishes that were a little bit of a twist on a classic. My mother actually suggested this dish when I was struggling to think of things to make. The one thing I was sure of was that I wanted to keep the classic traditional flavors of the cuisine alive. Pakistani food is rich and packed with flavor and spices- and I didn’t want to lose it in my pursuit of fusion dishes.

So, my mother suggested nihari ravioli. All the flavors of nihari are wrapped up in ravioli and served in a butter nihari emulsion. I was really nervous about doing this as I wasn’t sure how the sauce would translate. BUT, it turned out so good and I’m happy about the end result.

It’s a bit of a long one but so worth it in my eyes.

Ingredients:

1 kg beef shank with the bones in

1 large onion sliced or 2 small onions

8 cloves of garlic

1-inch ginger

1-2 tsp salt

2 tbsp atta or whole-wheat flour

4 tbsp water

nihari masala

6 cloves

6 cardamom pods

1.5 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp nigella seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp chili flakes (or 2 dry red chilis)

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

10 black peppercorns

2 star anise

pasta

200 grams 00 flour

2 whole eggs

sauce

4 tbsp butter

1 lemon juiced

garnish

julienned ginger

chopped cilantro

lemon juice squeezed

Method:

Grind up all the spices for the nihari until super fine.

Cut your beef into 1.5-inch chunks. I removed the meat from the bones and then cut it into chunks.

Slice your onion thinly.

Finely mince your ginger and garlic or just blitz it in the food processor.

In a large pot, put in 3 tbsp of oil and let heat up.

Sprinkle salt all over the beef and put a few pieces into the pan. Let sear until a golden brown color forms on each side. The meat is done when it self-releases from the pan. Once it’s golden on all sides, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

In the same pan, add the onions and saute until golden brown and caramelized. This should take around 8-10 minutes.

Then, add in your ginger and garlic and cook out for another 3-4 minutes.

Once fragrant, add in your meat and the bones.

Add 2-3 tbsp of the nihari masala and mix to combine. Also, add 1.5 tsp of salt.

Once fully mixed, add in boiling water until the meat is just covered.

Bring to a boil, and then once boiling, turn the heat down and bring to a simmer.

Cover with a lid and let cook for 4 hours or until the meat is completely fork-tender.

When the meat is almost tender enough, mix together the atta and water together to create a slurry. Add it into the nihari and mix it in. Cook for another 40 minutes to thicken the nihari sauce.

In the meantime, make your pasta dough.

Put 200g of 00 flour on the counter and create a well in the center.

Crack your eggs in the center and whisk until combined.

Slowly start bringing in the flour until a dough forms. It’s not necessary that you use all the flour. The consistency should be quite tight and firm.

Start kneading the dough until completely smooth- about 5-6 minutes.

Once smooth, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Once the meat is fork tender, strain out the sauce into a bowl and put the meat and onions in a different one.

Shred the meat and taste it. Add more salt and lemon juice if needed.

Skim any excess oil from the top of the sauce.

Then, roll out your pasta until thin. Using a pasta machine, roll it to level 2. If doing it by hand, roll it until you can slightly see your hands through it.

Cut the sheet in half lengthwise, so you have two long sheets.

Put 1 tbsp of the mix down on the sheet and repeat. You should be able to put 5-6 down.

Spray with water and then fold the sheet over itself. Then, press each side of the filling to push any air out. Then seal it from the top. Either using a cutter or your knife, cut out the ravioli.

Dust with semolina or 00 flour. Let them air dry a bit until the dough feels smooth and dry.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.

In a pan, put a ladleful of the nihari sauce. Put the heat on medium-high and start reducing it down.

Start putting in a tbsp of the cold butter and swirling the pan. This is called monte and will emulsify and make the sauce glossy. Keep repeating with the other tablespoons. Add in lemon juice to your preference.

Then, put in the ravioli and cook until the edges are softened- this usually takes 2-3 minutes for fresh pasta.

Put the pasta straight in the sauce and swirl to emulsify and coat the pasta.

When the sauce is thick and glossy- take the pasta out and plate! Top with julienned ginger, chopped cilantro, and a good squeeze of lemon.