My vegan nihari is made for cold days, featuring a hearty mix of lentils and mushrooms in place of meat, slow-simmered with warming spices like cinnamon, anise, and cloves. The result is a rich, deeply satisfying stew that warms you from the inside out.
I often hear vegans and vegetarians tell meat-eaters, “You don’t really like the taste of meat; it’s the seasonings you like.” I can’t comment on how true that is, since I haven’t eaten meat in over thirty years, but I do know a killer seasoning blend when I see one. When I first learned about nihari, I knew a vegan version would be amazing.
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Nihari is a traditional Pakistani beef stew. It’s a meat-heavy dish — far from vegan — but it’s also defined by warming, aromatic spices. So many spices! And the blend is incredible. You could pair those spices with all kinds of vegan main ingredients to make a truly satisfying stew. For my vegan nihari, I went with a mix of lentils and mushrooms.
If you’ve ever made recipes like my lentil Bolognese, mushroom paprikash, lentil burgers, or mushroom stroganoff, you already know how well lentils and mushrooms take on flavorful seasoning. This recipe uses a blend of both. It’s not meant to mimic meat, but it does deliver the deeply satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs quality you expect from a hearty vegan stew.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below you’ll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
Mushrooms. We’re using a blend of shiitake and oyster mushrooms. Both are super tender and great for adding texture to what would normally be a meat-based stew. Having said that, feel free to substitute other varieties of fresh mushrooms like button or cremini.
Vegetable oil. You can use whatever neutral high-heat oil you like. Coconut oil, avocado oil, canola or even olive oil will work.
Onion.
Garlic.
Ginger.
Whole spices. We’re using a lot of spices, and you may need to take a trip to the Asian market or order some of the whole spices online — it’ll be worth it! You’ll need a cinnamon stick, whole cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and black peppercorns.
Ground spices. You’ll need paprika, ground cumin, and turmeric. All are available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
Flour. I’ve only made this recipe with all-purpose flour, but since it’s just being used as a thickener, you could probably get away with substituting an all-purpose gluten-free blend, if needed.
Tomato paste.
Vegetable broth.
Lentils. We’re using dried brown lentils, which are the most common variety and can be found in most grocery stores.
Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed juice — the flavor is so much better than bottled.
Salt. Use this only if it’s needed.
Toppings. Fried shallots, chopped fresh cilantro, and matchstick-cut fresh ginger are all traditional toppings for nihari. Use any or all of them! You can fry your own shallots, or buy them at the Asian market.
Tip: Need some more recipes using all those whole spices? Try my vegan pho or yellow split pea dal. If you enjoy the flavor profile of this vegan nihari, you’ll probably love them as well!
How It’s Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Slice the mushrooms. Clean them, then remove the stems from the shiitakes. Slice both varieties of mushrooms super thin.
Step 2: Cook the mushrooms. Heat some of your oil in a pot, then add all of the mushrooms. Cook them for about 10 minutes, just giving an occasional stir, until they’re tender and starting to brown. Move them to a plate.
Step 3: Cook the onion. Heat a bit more oil in the pot, then add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 8 minutes, until it’s very soft and starting to brown.
Step 4: Add aromatics, spices, and flour. Start with the garlic, ginger, and whole spices. Cook them briefly, then add the ground spices, cooking everything for another minute. Finally, add the flour and cook the mixture for another minute. Stir through this whole process.
Step 5: Add the tomato paste. Stir it in with the spice mixture and cook it for about a minute, continuing to stir the entire time.
Step 6: Simmer. Stir in the broth, lentils, and cooked mushrooms, then raise the heat, bring the broth to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Let the mixture cook for 40 to 50 minutes. You want it nice and thick, with super-soft lentils that are starting to fall apart.
Step 7: Finish the stew. Take the pot off of heat, then stir in the lemon juice and salt, if needed. It’s done and ready to enjoy!
Step 8: Serve. As you can see, I went with all the toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, julienned fresh ginger, and crispy fried shallots. Feel free to use what you like though! This stew is also great with some vegan naan on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but the texture will be different and you may need to adjust the cook time. Red lentils cook much faster and break down more than brown, while green take a bit longer and stay firmer.
Yes! Simply substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for all-purpose wheat flour.
It’s warming and aromatic, but virtually heat-free. Feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you’d like some heat.
Your vegan nihari will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Vegan Stews
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Vegan Nihari
My vegan nihari is made for cold days, featuring a hearty mix of lentils and mushrooms in place of meat, slow-simmered with warming spices like cinnamon, anise, and cloves. The result is a rich, deeply satisfying stew that warms you from the inside out.
Ingredients
Optional Toppings
Fried shallotsChopped fresh cilantroJulienned fresh ginger
Instructions
Clean the mushrooms. Remove the stems from the shiitakes, then slice the caps very thinly. Slice the oyster mushrooms very thinly as well.
Coat the bottom of a large pot with 4 tablespoons of the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the mushrooms. Cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re very tender and a bit browned around the edges. Remove the mushrooms from the pot and transfer them to a plate.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook the onion for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it softens and just begins to brown.
Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns. Stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the paprika, cumin, and turmeric, followed by the flour. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste. Cook everything about a minute longer, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the broth while stirring, then add the lentils and return the mushrooms to the pot. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, until the lentils are very soft and beginning to break down, and the stew is thick. You can add more broth or some water if it gets too thick at any point.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season the stew with salt to taste, if desired.
Ladle into bowls and serve with your choice of toppings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1316mg | Potassium: 970mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 973IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 6mg
