Slow-cooked beef shank stew (Nihari)

1. For the nihari masala, dry-toast the fennel seeds, the seeds of the black cardamom and the star anise for 2 minutes, cool and grind to a powder; mix with the grated nutmeg, chilli powder and garam masala.

2. Heat two thirds of the ghee in a large heavy pan and fry the thinly sliced onions for 10 minutes until golden brown. Add the grated ginger and crushed garlic, then the shank cut into large pieces, and brown on both sides for 8-10 minutes.

3. Stir in most of the nihari masala and the salt, stir for 1 minute, then pour in the water. Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and cook over the lowest possible heat (or in the oven at 150 °C) for 4-5 hours until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

4. Whisk the flour with a glass of water until smooth and pour it into the stew in a thin stream, stirring constantly; cook for another 20 minutes until the sauce thickens silkily.

5. Heat the remaining ghee in a small pan, fry the rest of the nihari masala and pour the sizzling spiced ghee over the stew.

6. Serve in deep plates with ginger strips, sliced green chillies, lemon wedges and fresh coriander; eat with naan or kulcha.

Tip: The name comes from the Arabic "nahar" (morning): in Old Delhi it was cooked all night and eaten at dawn for breakfast. It takes 1 hour in a pressure cooker, but slow cooking is best.