Name: Bhuna Gosht Masala - Lamb Bhuna
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 1.5 medium onion (chopped); 3 tomatoes chopped; 1.1 lb lamb (bone in); 1 heaped tsp garlic paste; 1 heaped tsp ginger paste; 1.5 tsp salt (or to taste); 2.5 tsp cumin powder; 3 tsp coriander powder; 1 tsp red chilli powder (to taste); 0.75 tsp coarsely ground black pepper; 0.5 tsp garam masala; 5 tbsp oil; 2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder/degi mirch; 1 handful coriander (chopped)

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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

This delicious curry is a keeper! Throw everything into a pot and allow it to simmer for 1 hr and when the times up, add in some oil and saute the curry till it's at a consistency you like! So simple and such little effort required for a really tasty dish!

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 1 20

Total Time: 1 25

Servings:

4.56 from 9 votes

Print Rate

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

You can substitute any red meat for lamb in this recipe, but will have to adjust for cooking times accordingly.

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Comments

4.56 from 9 votes (6 ratings without comment)

Bhuna Gosht Masala (Lamb Bhuna)

What is the 'Bhuna' process?

How spicy is Bhuna Gosht?