A bhuna is found in restaurants across the UK and is usually a dark, brown dry dish where the sauce clings effortlessly to meat or vegetables. The word Bhuna means 'to fry'and refers to the cooking style which originates in the Pakistan region where this would be known as is a Karahi.
A bhuna tends to be made with meat or vegetables that are cooked in their own juices resulting in a sauce that has a deep richness in flavour. The key aromatics come from the use of freshly toasted spices - I always use cumin, coriander, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and mustard seeds. However, what is key about this dish is the 'fry or bhuna' element, so once the meat is tender the heat is turned to full whack and the dish is then fried and tossed to reduce the sauce right down. This process produces the fragrant, thick, rich sauce that clings to each and every morsel giving it the resulting well spiced, luxurious flavour a Bhuna is known for.
This tends to be served with bread rather than rice.
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mark harvey
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