Chicken Bhuna Masala

‘Bhuna’ is actually a cooking technique rather than a curry, where the ingredients are cooked and reduced together to create a rich, thick and intensely flavoured sauce. In this recipe, onions, ginger, garlic and spices are gently cooked in ghee before blended tomatoes are added and slowly reduced. The sauce is ready when the oils begin to separate and sit above the tomato mixture, creating that characteristic rich bhuna gravy.

The chicken is marinated overnight in a mixture of spices, ginger, garlic, yoghurt and lemon before being added to the sauce along with the marinade.

Fennel seeds are roughly crushed and added during cooking, giving the curry a distinctive flavour with a subtle hint of aniseed.

The chicken is cooked until just tender, with the baby tomatoes kept whole so they still have a fresh, juicy bite.

Finished with fresh coriander and a sprinkling of fennel seeds, this is a rich and tasty homemade curry with plenty of flavour.

  • 3 large chicken breasts, diced into fairly large, equal chunks
  • Marinade:
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1/2 tbsp. cumin powder
  • 1/2 tbsp. coriander powder
  • 1/2 tbsp. fenugreek powder
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp. natural yoghurt (I used Greek)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

  • Curry:
  • 3” piece of ginger
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 red chillies, halved lengthways
  • 1 tbsp. cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp. coriander powder
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • half a tsp chilli powder
  • 5 fresh tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. tomato puree
  • half a tbsp fennel seeds
  • half a tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • half a punnet baby plum tomatoes
  • Chop the grated ginger and garlic together until they form a paste. Mix with the remaining marinade ingredients, then add the chicken and coat well. Place in a sealed container or bag and refrigerate overnight.
  • Blend the ginger, garlic, chillies, fresh tomatoes and tomato purée together to make a smooth purée. Set aside.
  • Heat the ghee and cook the onions slowly until golden. This should take around 8–10 minutes.
  • Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and mix well.
  • Add the tomato, ginger and garlic purée and let this simmer and reduce for around 10–15 minutes. Do not add water. The oils should begin to separate and sit above the tomato sauce.
  • Once reduced, add the chicken and all of its marinade. Stir well. 
  • While the curry is simmering, roughly crush the fennel seeds using a pestle and mortar, then add them to the curry. Simmer for around 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the chicken.
  • Add the garam masala and baby plum tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper.
  • Cook until the chicken is cooked through, taking care not to overcook it as chicken breast can become dry. The baby plum tomatoes should remain whole and retain some of their fresh, juicy texture.
  • Serve with a sprinkle of fresh coriander and an extra sprinkle of fennel seeds.

LULU’S NOTES

CHICKEN

This recipe uses chicken breast, and relies on the chunks being an equal size so they cook evenly without becoming overcooked. You can swap the breast for chicken thighs, which can be cooked for longer without the risk of the meat becoming dry. Just cut them into halves.

TIMINGS

This may look like a lot of processes, but it is important to follow the instructions and take your time when cooking down the onions and tomatoes. Allow the oils to separate from the sauce, as this creates the base and depth of flavour for the curry.

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one last thing…

Feel free to make substitutions here and there — recipes are a starting point, and the kitchen is a place to be creative. However, leaving out a key ingredient or making several changes can alter the flavour of the finished dish.

In other words, if you remove half the ingredients, I can’t be held responsible for the plot twist. 😉