Chicken Bhuna

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This chicken bhuna recipe is a curry house favourite, rich and savoury with caramelized onions for a delicious coating sauce. This drier curry is ideal for those who don't like too much sauce on their meat.

Servings:

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5

Cook Time38

Ingredients

2–3 onions - brown
2–3 tbsp ghee or cooking oil
1 pinch salt
2 tsp ginger and garlic paste - or 1 tsp each of separate pastes
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
400 g canned tomatoes - 1 can
450 g chicken thigh meat, cut into chunks - 4 thighs, boned and skin off

To garnish

1 handful coriander/cilantro leaf
1 green finger chilli

Optional

120 ml chicken stock
1 knob butter

Metric - USA Cups

Instructions

Peel and dice the onions into pieces of about 1 cm. Then heat the ghee in a large pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat for about 15 minutes until golden.
2–3 tbsp ghee or cooking oil, 2–3 onions
Add a pinch of salt and continue to cook until the onion is just starting to brown at the edges.
1 pinch salt
Add the spices and cook for another minute until they are fragrant.
2 tsp ginger and garlic paste, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin
Add the canned tomatoes and let them simmer down to about half the volume, until you can leave a trace on the bottom of the pan when you run a spoon over the base. This takes about 10 minutes.
400 g canned tomatoes
Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the sauce. Turn the heat right down (use a diffuser if needed), cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Check from time to time and stir. This is not a wet curry but if you think the sauce is too dry, you can add just a little chicken stock as needed.
450 g chicken thigh meat, cut into chunks, 120 ml chicken stock
Stir in a knob of butter to finish. Serve hot, garnished with coriander leave and sliced green chilli.
1 handful coriander/cilantro leaf, 1 green finger chilli, 1 knob butter

Notes

Storage

This chicken bhuna recipe is ideal for making ahead of time and may actually benefit from it, as the flavours have longer to infuse the meat.

Fridge – Allow to cool, and as soon as it is cold pack into an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for 3 months. Defrost (from frozen) and reheat in a pan on the stove top, or heat in the microwave, making sure it is properly hot before serving.

Freezer – Cool and pack into an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, defrost and reheat in a pan on the stove top, or heat in the microwave, making sure it is properly hot before serving.

Hints and tips

The most crucial thing is to cook the onions properly. You cannot rush or hurry this process and it is absolutely essential to the recipe, so make your chicken bhuna when you have time. You can make it in advance so that you will not be under pressure when it comes to serving.

Cook the tomatoes properly to make the sauce before you add the chicken pieces. You want to deglaze the pan with the juices and then let it all reduce down and start to caramelize again. This produces amazing flavour and texture.

If you love this chicken bhuna recipe and want to make it regularly, you can double the quantities for the onion/spice masala base or sauce (including the tomatoes) to freeze for next time.

This chicken bhuna curry is a rare instance of a dish where it does not help to brown the meat at the outset. You want it to absorb the sauce, so do not seal the meat in this way.

Get ahead

Double all the ingredients for the curry aside from the chicken. Cook to the end of stage 3. Remove half the cooked bhuna and freeze for another day.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.