Easy Instant Pot Nihari Pakistani Beef Stew

It’s been two years since I shared my Easy Slow Cooker Nihari recipe, and it’s still one of the most popular recipes on my blog! Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! Since then, I’ve received tons of messages that have made my day, like ‘I didn’t know nihari could be this easy’, ‘it tastes just like restaurant nihari’, and ‘this is the best homemade nihari I’ve had’! I’ve also received many questions about converting the recipe to a pressure cooker/Instant Pot. In a very ‘you asked, I delivered’ fashion, I present to you…Instant Pot Nihari! Still easy, still authentic-tasting, and just 30 minutes of prep time. Side note: To challenge my claim, I set a timer for 30 minutes before I started making this. And guess what? I was closing my Instant Pot lid when the timer finished, toddler interruptions included.

Tips for making Instant Pot Nihari

Why This Recipe Works

My nihari recipes are the result of nothing but serious trial and error, emphasis on the error. These are just some of the “why’s” behind the way I cook nihari.

Nihari Masala

Using Pre-made Nihari Masala

Because Nihari demands so many spices, I originally created this recipe using 1/2 a tablespoon of pre-made Nihari masala powder. Use too much of the powder (like the whole packet as the box suggests) and you’ll end up having Nihari that tastes a bit manufactured and a lot like your fellow Pakistani neighbor’s Nihari because they used the same powder. Use just a bit and it’ll give your dish an extra oomph and good color. Also, I’ve had many questions about using just the spice mix. I’m not above using pre-made spice mixes, but I prefer not to use the suggested quantities because it can taste quite harsh. Plus, the flavors are just more pronounced when you use fresh spices. Keep in mind that you’ll need to adjust the salt/spice level depending on which brand and how much masala you use.

Homemade Nihari Masala

As always, I prefer to use fresh spices, homemade spices when I can. It took me a while, but I finally created a Nihari Masala Powder that works with this recipe. As always, if you’re missing a spice (or three!), don’t let that deter you from making it. Nihari Masala – makes ~1 tbsp, all of which you’ll use

½-1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika, for color 1 small black cardamom pod 1 small (1- inch) mace blade (or piece of mace) 3/4-inch peepli (long pepper) 1/4 tsp fennel seeds (saunf) 1/4 tsp garam masala powder 1/4 tsp ginger powder 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/8 tsp caraway seeds (shah zeera) 1/8 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji) pinch cane sugar

If you try this recipe, please share your review in the comments or tag me on Instagram! I always love hearing from you! P.S. For video instructions on how to make this, check out my Instagram story highlights!