Nihari (Hindi: निहारी; Bengali: নিহারী; Urdu: نہاری) is a stew originating in Lucknow, the capital of 18th-century Awadh under the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent.

[3] It was originally meant to be consumed as a heavy, high-energy breakfast dish on an empty stomach by working-class citizens, particularly in colder climates and seasons.

However, the dish later gained a significant amount of popularity and eventually became a staple of the royal cuisine of Mughal-era nawabs.

[5][6] Nihari is a traditional dish among the Indian Muslim communities of Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bhopal.

In Karachi, nihari became a large-scale success[7] and soon spread in prominence and availability across Pakistan.