Sri Lanka Shows Some Sugar and Making Nihari

Sri Lanka certainly gave us some sugar last night because that victory was SWEEEEEET! The whole ODI was just insane.  Australia premiered their new left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty, who just about obliterated Sri Lanka by taking 4 wickets for 46.  He was getting a deviation of 5%.  They were even showing it on TV during the match by superimposing a protractor on the pitch!  As the commentators at the MCG were saying:"Geometry is so flashy".  I must agree, geometry is flashy especially when you're a spinner for Australia! 

So, it really looked like Sri Lanka was going to lose.  Come on, they were at 8 for 107 and needed 133 runs to win. They must have thought it was curtains!  Then good ol' Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga pulled off an amazing 132 run partnership, a new record for a 9th wicket in ODI's.  Muralitharan got the winning 4 runs at the very end.  What a game!  I totally have a sports crush on Sri Lanka...yee-haa!

It's time for a disco dance!



A well deserved Victory Disco

And now for the cooking bit.  To dance like the Sri Lankan cricketers did yesterday, you need a meal that gives you energy.  Here is the famous Nihari, or Breakfast Curry, which I have been promising for a while.

There are several ingredients, however the methodology of this dish is much simpler than that of a salan.  No bhunna here!  Nihari is usually served for breakfast, but you can also have nihari for lunch or dinner, making this the perfect meal if you’re watching a one day international match or a test match which is taking place in a different time zone than your own. 

Ingredients:

 1.5 kg of beef cut into very large cubes, preferably from the shin

1 kg. of bones (use a mix of marrow bones and knuckle bones) 

                The use of bones in this is not necessary, but they do add a depth to

                the flavour.

Some oil or ghee

5 cloves of garlic, crushed into a paste

3cm piece of ginger, crushed into a paste

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon or more of red chili powder (lal mirch)

1 star anise

1 teaspoon cumin seed

5 black peppercorns

3 green cardamom pods

½ cinnamon stick

4 cloves

salt

About 4 tablespoons flour

1 finely sliced onion

3 cm piece of ginger, sliced and cut into matchsticks

Sliced green chilies

Limes, cut into quarters

First of all, dry fry the star anise, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon and cloves.  This will release the flavour.  Then, put the spices in a mortar and pestle and crush them to a powder. Remember to discard the green skins of the cardamom pods!   You can also use a spice grinder if you wish.  Add the lal mirch to the ground spices.  Set aside.

In a very large pot, heat up a bit of oil, and add the crushed garlic, bay leaf, and the crushed ginger.

Add the meat and the bones, fry for a few seconds, then add the ground spices.  Continue frying  for a minute or two, making sure not to burn the garlic.

At this point, add 10 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

Cover, and cook on very low heat for 6-8 hours, until the beef is very tender.

Remove the bones.

Dissolve the flour into about 1.5 cups of water, and stir it gradually into the beef and liquid that’s been cooking for the past 6 hours.  Stir gently, and cook on higher heat for about 15 minutes.

In a frying pan, heat up a bit of oil and fry the sliced onion until it’s golden and crispy.    Add this to the nihari and let everything simmer on very low heat for another fifteen minutes or so. 

Serve the nihari in a bowl, and garnish it with some of the ginger matchsticks, green chilies, and squeeze in some lime juice.  Eat with naan or pita bread.

Now, if you don't have the time or energy to grind your own spices, you can always buy a box of pre-ground Nihari spices at a pakistani or indian grocery store. (If you're in Canada, it's available at Superstore in the East Indian aisle).  There are two good brands:  Shan and National.  Feel free to use this as a shortcut!  Follow the instructions that are on the outside of the box, and only add extra lal mirch if you want your nihari extra spicy.

Happy cricket, happy eating, and if you're a Sri Lanka fan (I wasn't, but I sure am now!), happy dancing!