Name: Chicken bhuna
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 medium onions 2 finely chopped, 1 roughly chopped; 100ml vegetable oil; 1 tbsp ginger and garlic purée; 1 tbsp mild curry powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp chilli powder; 800g chicken thighs diced; 100ml natural yogurt; 4 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tsp garam masala

Curry with chillies in bowl with fork and glass of wine

3 medium onions
2 finely chopped, 1 roughly chopped
100ml vegetable oil
1 tbsp ginger and garlic purée
1 tbsp mild curry powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
800g chicken thighs
diced
100ml natural yogurt
4 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp garam masala

Method

step 1
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and, once hot, drizzle in the oil, reduce the heat to low and cook the finely chopped onions until golden brown. Season.
step 2
Add the ginger and garlic purée, curry powder, turmeric, chilli powder, 1 tsp fine salt and a splash of water, and stir well. Fry for a couple of minutes, then add the diced chicken thighs and stir well again.
step 3
Mix the yogurt, tomato purée and onion purée together in a jug with 300ml water. Pour into the saucepan and mix well. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in the garam masala for the final 2 mins of cooking, stir well and serve.
step 4
Mix the yogurt, tomato purée and onion purée together in a jug with 300ml water. Pour into the saucepan and mix well. Turn up the heat until the sauce begins to boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
step 5
Finally, sprinkle in the garam masala and stir in well for the final 2 mins before serving.

What is chicken bhuna?

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.

What is the key to making a good bhuna?

Slowly frying the puréed onion mixture will result in a sweeter and deeper flavour and the gelatinous nature of onions also acts as a thickener. The chicken thighs are allowed to cook in their own juices so the sauce remains thick and concentrated. It’s important to take time to gently simmer the chicken thighs which appreciate long and slow cooking to become tender, using a lid to keep all the juices circulating rather than evaporating.

How spicy is a bhuna?

Bhuna is a medium hot curry. On a scale of 1-10, (where 10 is the spiciest) bhuna is around a 6. The amount of chilli powder you add however is optional so you can adjust the level of heat, by adding more or less.

The yoghurt cools down the curry and you could add more yoghurt for a less spicy curry.

Serving suggestions for chicken bhuna

We suggest serving chicken bhuna with steamed basmati rice or this pistachio pilau rice, naan bread, or chapatis with salted yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped coriander. You could also serve it as part of an Indian banquet with some onion bhajis, to start, and a side dish of saag paneer or roasted alloo gobi.

Can I make chicken bhuna ahead?

Yes, in fact cooking bhuna advance allows the flavours to mingle together and disperse more evenly, meaning the general overall flavour will improve over time. This is true of most curries so it’s actually advised that you make it the day before.

How to store leftover chicken bhuna

Simply store in a tupperware container in the fridge and consume within 3 days.

How to reheat chicken bhuna?

Reheat in the microwave until piping hot, or place in a pan on the hob with enough water added to maintain the same consistency and stop it drying out.