Chicken Bhuna Curry Recipe - Indian Takeaway Style Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken bhuna made of? ›

Chicken bhuna originates from the Bengal region of India. The term 'bhunna' is Urdu for 'fried'. The dish typically consists of a base of onions, garlic, ginger and spices being fried together to form a thick coating sauce.

Water, Tomato (14%), Red Pepper (5%), Concentrated Tomato Purée (3.5%), Spices (Coriander, Cumin, Spices, Green Cardamom), Dried Onion, Modified Maize Starch, Ginger Purée, Garlic Purée, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Salt, Acid (Citric Acid), Cumin Seed, Dried Coriander Leaf, Dried Fenugreek Leaf.

In Urdu, bhunna means to be fried. The dish, which originates from Bengal, is typically prepared by frying lots of spices at a high temperature. The meat is then added, and simmers away in its own juices. The result is a thick, intensely flavoured sauce.

Fresh Garlic and Ginger Paste

Garlic and ginger are maybe the most-loved ingredients in Indian cuisine. The combination of these two fragrant elements produce an aroma that is an integral part of the many Indian curry sauces, and adds a gorgeous depth and complexity to most of Indian cooking.

The bag contains 7 different types of spices including cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black mustard seeds, crushed chilli, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and dried curry leaves. You can add vegetables, chicken, lamb or beef.

The dish "bhuna" is an extension of that process where meat is added to the spices and then cooked in its own juices which results in deep strong flavours but very little sauce. The restaurant Bhuna is a well spiced curry with a thick sauce. It is often garnished with fried green peppers and shredded onions.

Bhindi Gosht

This popular Pakistani curry is lamb with okra and is a relatively dry curry like a bhuna - so the sauce coats the lamb rather than the lamb sitting in a runny gravy.

The word bhuna actually refers to the cooking process rather than the type of dish. Originating from the Urdu word for 'fried', the spices used in the curry are fried in oil or ghee at a high temperature until they form a paste. This helps to bring out the flavours.

Dopiaza, Rogan Josh, Bhuna, Balti, Karahi and Biryani.

Rogan Josh and Bhuna are so similar in their DNA they could be brother and sister – both go big on tomatoes, but the Bhuna is drier. Balti is the dish you see served in beautiful stainless steel bowls.

/ (ˈbuːnə) / noun. an Indian dish or sauce in which spices are dry-roasted in a pan and then combined with a moistening agent such as yogurt or water.

Is Indian bhuna healthy? ›

Indian cuisine encompasses a wide range of methods, and some dishes are healthier than others. Look for terms like "bharta" (roasted and mashed), "jalfrezi" (stir-fried with vegetables), or "bhuna" (slow-cooked with spices). These methods typically involve less oil and can be healthier choices.

Fenugreek (Methi)

This Indian spice is what people say "smells like curry." Of all Indian spices, this spice may be the most essential. You may use up to a few tablespoons in a family size dish near the end of the cooking process, but start with a teaspoon. Fenugreek seeds also have many health benefits.

The actual sweetness and creaminess of such curries meanwhile, usually comes from fried onions and either cashews and/or dairy products. Instead of (or in addition to) onion, ground coconut may be used. White poppy seeds and/or watermelon seeds are also used in some creamy sauces.

Chicken bhuna is often described as a dry curry. This doesn't mean that there isn't any sauce, it just means that the sauce is thick. So, if you're looking for a relatively easy but tasty curry with a rich tomato sauce then chicken bhuna is definitely one to try. It's not too hot either.

Rogan Josh and Bhuna are so similar in their DNA they could be brother and sister – both go big on tomatoes, but the Bhuna is drier. Balti is the dish you see served in beautiful stainless steel bowls. It usually comes with naan bread, which in many cases doubles as your cutlery.

Similar to a Bhuna, the main difference between these two curries comes from the sauce and flavours. In a Lamb Rogan Josh, cardamon, cloves and cinnamon are what give it those unique flavourings. While in a Bhuna, you're sticking to those typical flavours of ginger, garlic and tomato with a little less heat.