Bhuna Gosht Masala, or Lamb Bhuna as it more commonly known as, is a delicious and rich dinner which takes minimal effort and provides such a maximal return of flavours! It requires a basic set of ingredients and spices, so no jumping through hoops of fire for this one. But truly, this is such a wonderful meal that would go well as a special dawat/dinner with company meal or even as a special weeknight dinner!
My mother would call this style of cooking 'charhana' which means 'putting on' in Urdu. Literally, all you do is put the ingredients into a pot, add boiling water and let it simmer. Now you forget about it for an hour whilst you browse Instagram and Pinterest do all those other important things you need to be doing. Then, you uncover, add oil and allow the water to dry off and begin to 'bhoon' (sauté) the curry up.
What is the 'Bhuna' process?
This is where the magic happens! During the sautéing process, the ingredients begin to break down, giving a wonderfully textured and thick masala whilst also browning the meat. Winning! This process of the 'bhoon' is where this dish gets its name from.
It involved lots of vigorous stirring, sautéing and drying out the curry down until it is very dry and concentrated.
The sautéing process doesn't take long, depending on how much water you have to dry out. This step is a crucial step in much of Pakistani and Indian cooking - it's where the flavours really deepen and the texture really comes together.
If the curry is too dry for your liking by the time the bhuna process has finished, you can add back some water to loosen the curry - I do this too. It's just the entire process of drying it out completely is essential for the flavour and texture.
How spicy is Bhuna Gosht?
This recipe is definitely on the spicier side. Bhuna recipes tend to be very flavourful and spicy.
If you don't want too much heat, reduce the red chilli powder to 0.25tsp.
What can I serve with Bhuna Gosht?
Serve this dish with chapattis and some form of salad, chutney or raita!
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Other recipes you may enjoy
Chicken Bhuna | Chicken Karahi | Lamb Karahi | Chicken Korma | Aloo Gosht
Enjoy!
📋 Recipe
Bhuna Gosht Masala - Lamb Bhuna
Ingredients
- 1.5 (165 g) medium onion chopped
- 3 (370 g) tomatoes chopped
- 1.1 lb (½ kg) lamb bone in
- 1 heaped tsp garlic paste
- 1 heaped tsp ginger paste
- 1.5 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2.5 teaspoon cumin powder
- 3 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder to taste
- 0.75 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
- 5 tablespoon (75 ml) oil
- 2 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder/degi mirch
- 1 handful coriander chopped
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the oil, kashmiri/degi powder. and coriander to a pot. Don't worry about chopping everything finely as in step 4 they will all break down into the masala
- Add ¾ cup /175ml water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 1hr.
- After 1hr, the lamb should be almost cooked and the onions and tomatoes should be very tender. Some of the fat from the lamb will have also been released and may be rising to the top at this point. Uncover and bring the heat to high. Add the oil, then begin to allow the water to dry out - this may take 10-15 minutes depending on how much water there is. Stir vigorously and keep the heat to high, stirring and drying out the curry until it is very dry
- Once the curry is very dry, add some water in and stir until the curry comes to a consistency you're happy with. Add in the kashmiri red chilli powder/degi mirch (this is purely for colour and doesn't taste of much, so you can add more or less or omit entirely if you wish). Let it simmer on a low heat cover for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped coriander, stir in and turn the heat off. Your bhuna gosht masala is ready!
Video
Notes
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Chaïma
VERY simple recipe and always DELICIOUS. Everyone loves it!
Jay Shek
Terrific recipe...turned out beautifully!! Such smart comments on why it won't work with chicken! Kudos, you are an amazing guide!!
Kim
This was my first ever bhuna! You said it was relatively little effort for such a tasty dish, and you were so right! I made this with lamb and we were blown away by the flavor and texture. Very happy to learn this recipe and technique 🙂
Fatima Cooks
So glad you enjoyed it!
Britt
I made this a few nights ago, and it's absolutely delicious! I made it with a chuck roast that I cut down into cubes, and moved the Dutch oven I cooked it in into the oven to dry it out and get the beef more tender and it did the trick! The gravy was thick, beautifully aromatic, and the oil had separated up to the top in the oven just like you described. I'm definitely going to try to track down mutton to make this again.
Fatima
That’s amazing, so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing your oven method too!
Ben
Fatima, would this 'charhana' style of cooking work with chicken? Or could you make the masala in this style then add the chicken at the drying out stage?
Fatima
Hey Ben! No, it wouldn't work with chicken. The reason is chicken is pretty much done and cooked by the 20-25 minute mark and it doesn't tolerate being stirred around and being fried after it's cooked (tends to break up and flake). Additionally, that much time isn't enough for the tomatoes and onions to break down either. You'd have to go with the standard masala cooking process for chicken. Hope that helps!
Hajra
JazakAllah al khayr for such a wonderful recipe. I made it today, its so simple, easy and yet so delicious. May Allah bless u for your good work. This will definitely be added in my recipes diary.
Fatima
Thank you so much, Hajra!
Saba
Hi Fatma
Can I make this and store it one day in advance?
Fatima Cooks
Yes, absolutely!
Aisha
This is absolutely delicious! So straightforward and easy to make yet the flavours are just delightful and the lamb is so tender it just falls apart. This will be my go to recipe from now!
Fatima
Thank you so much, I am so happy to hear that!! <3
Rizwana Sahraouei
In the process of making this as i type... x
Abigail Myhre
I am going to try this tonight!
Umm Muhammad
I thought this recipe was too easy to be delicious but I was very, very wrong. Just made it and it was a huge hit in my house! Thank you so much for this beautiful and super easy recipe!!
yousufh
Ingredients mention cumin powder whereas the picture shows cumin seeds, please clarify