From Mughal Royalty to National Symbol: A Qualitative Ethnographic Study of Nihari in Pakistan

This study discusses the socio-historical development of nihari, a slow-cooked meat stew often consumed in Pakistan. It explores how the dish is linked to the late Mughal courtly kitchens in Lahore and how it now serves as a symbol of national identity. By framing nihari as an edible archive, this study employs a qualitative approach that integrates historical studies, ethnographic studies, and culinary anthropology to discuss its recipe as a palimpsest. It treats the recipe as a palimpsest, recording changes such as Mughal syncretism, colonial dislocation, nation-building after partition, and globalization. The results indicate that the democratization of nihari as an elite Mughal breakfast into national food occurred through assimilation into Karachi- and Peshawar-specific urban foodscapes. In each city, the dish was adapted to local preferences. Simultaneously, it strategically maintained links with aristocratic food traditions. These dynamics place nihari at the center of cultural negotiation: it organizes collective memory, mediates social distinction, and enables participants to experience national history sensorally as they cross postmodern social lines.