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Bhuna (Template:Langx, Template:Langx), also written Bhoona,[1] is a slow-roasted, dry style of curry, often made with meat, and originating from Bengal. It is characterised by the initial frying of an onion-based paste, followed by long braising of the spices and meat, giving it a dark appearance and rich flavour.
The bhuna technique is widespread in Indian cuisine. In Bangladesh, several varieties exist; kala bhuna is often eaten at mezban feasts, at Muslim weddings, and on holidays. Bhuna has become a commonly eaten curry in British Indian restaurants.
Cooking technique
The bhuna curry technique, originally from Bengal,[2] calls for a paste made from onions, garlic, and ginger to create a thick sauce. Tomato can be included in the paste, which is fried in oil until soft. The pieces of meat or vegetables for the curry are then added and braised in a deep, heavy, round pan called a karahi.[2][1][3] Cooking continues at length, reducing and thickening the sauce to develop a rich flavour.[2][4] Bhuna is thus a characteristically dry style of curry.[5]
The spices in the sauce vary somewhat but can include chili, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, black pepper, salt, mustard oil, garam masala, nutmeg, and toasted cumin.[6]Template:-
Indian subcontinent
The bhuna technique is widespread in Indian cuisine, though it is not used in Assam.[7] For example, bhuna slow roasting is used in the kaliya meat curry made by the Kayastha community.[8] The curry is served with steamed rice or naan flatbread.[3]
In Bangladeshi cuisine, bhuna is a meat curry made of beef or mutton.[9][10] One variety, the Chittagong-style kala bhuna ("black bhuna"), gets its name from its appearance, as the meat goes blackish during the long process of deep frying with the spices.[4] Bhuna is common across Bangladesh, including in Sylhet,[11] Khulna,[12] and Dhaka.[13] This dish is often eaten at mezban feasts, at the Muslim holiday of Eid,[14] at Bengali Muslim weddings,[15] and in sehri or iftar during the time of Ramadan.[16] In Old Dhaka, restaurant dishes in the 1960s included Nehari Bhuna (spicy goat or beef shank soup) and Magaj Bhuna (spicy sauteed goat brain).[17] A characteristic Dhaka curry, bhuna khichdi, is made with lentils and rice.[5]
In Britain
Bhuna is one of the styles of curry commonly served in Indian restaurants in Britain, alongside popular dishes like chicken tikka masala, Madras curry, and korma.[2][3] Until the early 1970s, most of these restaurants were owned and run by migrants from Sylhet in East Pakistan, which became Bangladesh in 1971.[18] Bhuna has been described as "a curry-house favourite".[19] According to the British Curry Guide, the high heat of frying produces a "deep, caramelized flavor".[3] BBC Food presents a variant recipe using chicken rather than red meat.[20] A vegetarian bhuna can be made using South Asian paneer cheese.[21] The British television chef Nadiya Hussain proposes a crab bhuna,[22] and a quick lamb bhuna with the sauce ingredients and oil ground to a fine paste.[23]
In Glasgow, Scotland, a "Full Bhoona" originally meant a lamb bhuna with a large side salad at the Koh-i-Noor restaurant, opened in 1964. It became a stock phrase meaning "giving [something] every effort".[24]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Curry{{#if:Sen|, Sen}. Reaktion Books(2017). ISBN 978-93-86338-83-9
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 From balti to bhuna: the ultimate guide to curry. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bhuna. British Curry Guide. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 {{{title}}}. Bangla Tribune. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bengali Mughlai Platter on the Table: Muslim and Indo-Persian Food Culture in Bengal. Global Food History({Template:Date).
- ↑ {{{title}}}. Prothom Alo. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ↑ Food Habits in Different Parts Of India. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in Science, Engineering, Technology & Management({Template:Date).
- ↑ The Connections, Exclusions, and Silences of an Indian Ocean Stew. Global Food History({Template:Year).
- ↑ {{{title}}}. Bangla Tribune. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ↑ Bangladesh cuisine part I - delectable and diverse. The Daily Star. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ↑ {{{title}}}. bdnews24.com. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ↑ {{{title}}}. Banglanews24.com. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ↑ {{{title}}}. Prothom Alo. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ↑ Spicy Kala Bhuna. Daily Sun(4 August 2019). Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ Wedding menu through the ages: From Polao-Korma to Kacchi Biryani. The Business Standard(23 February 2020). Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ What's for iftar? A refreshing take on the typical Bangladeshi spread. The Daily Star(3 March 2025).
- ↑ Food and Eateries of Old Dhaka, Choudhury, Ziauddin M.. Scribd. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ↑ UK Curry Scene. Retrieved 12 December 2006.
- ↑ Lamb bhuna. Sainsbury's Magazine. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ↑ Chicken bhuna, Gowardhan, Maunika. BBC Food. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ↑ Discover 11 budget paneer recipes that’ll shake up your weekly rotation. Delicious Magazine(April 2023). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ↑ Recipes: Crab Bhuna, Hussain, Nadiya. Nadiya(7 June 2024). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ↑ Nadiya's lamb bhuna, Hussain, Nadiya. BBC Food. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ↑ The Full Bhoona: History, Memories, and Recipes. Books from Scotland(December 2017). Retrieved 30 January 2026.
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