KARACHI: One may have heard of chicken nihari but chickpea nihari and boiled egg nihari are quite unheard of. That is why these dishes became the centre of attraction at the Traditional Nihari Extravaganza organised by Biz Today in collaboration with Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) at KATI House on Thursday.

Besides being a cooking competition among home chefs, the event also served as a celebration of bold spices, rich traditions and culinary excellence.

Chef Hina Imtiaz, who had entered the competition with chickpea nihari and egg nihari, said that these were not her inventions. “Chickpea and boiled egg nihari also exist though they may not be as common as the traditional beef nihari,” she said, adding that she also wanted to bring something different.

But there were also people like Areeba Mushtaq in the competition, who said that the nihari deserved too much respect to be played around with. “I only cooked beef nihari with traditional spices, which may sound simple or boring to some but I refuse to experiment with something so traditional as the nihari,” she said. “It is not a joke,” she added.

Peculiar recipes, flavour combinations impress visitors

The nihari also had to be served with condiments such as lime, julienne ginger, thinly sliced green chillies, etc. Some ladies also brought naan, which they had baked themselves to enjoy with the nihari, some also offered cool glasses of plain or mint lemonade or a sweet dish on the side in case someone felt that their nihari was too spicy for the taste buds.

Hadiya Khan also brought freshly baked brownies with her beef nihari entry. “I am also a baker so I thought of baking some brownies too,” she smiled.

And Sidra Khalid had brought kheer with her maghaz (brain) nihari.

Hadia Owais, another contestant, had her home-made garlic naan with her beef nalli (bone marrow) nihari.

Chef Ayesha Imtiaz had cooked smoky beef nalli nihari. The twist in taste was brought by covering it with a smoking piece of coal just like one does for cheater barbecue dishes.

Presentation was also given importance. Chef Nusrat Najam had brought her beef nalli nihari in a small cauldron. She had also brought with her haleem because well, just because ... (she felt that the nihari was not enough).

Chef Beenish, one of the judges, said that besides flavour, she was also checking how tender the meat was. “Nihari meat should melt in the mouth if cooked well,” she said. “The nihari spices must also be balanced,” she said.

The other judge, Chef Kamran Rahim, also agreed with his fellow judge, but added that presentation also mattered.

Meanwhile, the Executive Editor of Biz Today International, Rafiq Vayani, said that the nihari, which was invented as a remedy for sinusitis by a hakeem (herbal medicine man) in Delhi many years ago may have evolved into many types of niharis as one could find in the competition in the form of chickpea and boiled egg nihari. “Still, the nihari will always be enjoyed steaming hot with fluffy naan. Therefore, we have also provided a microwave oven to heat your helping of the delicacy along with fresh naan from the tandoor,” he said.

All the guests were free to taste nihari from any of the contestants’ entries after the judges had tasted them.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2025