Topic: Takeaway Bhuna Recipe

[Derek Dansak]

PanPot, this was my bhuna from 6 months ago. hope you like it !

 Bhuna to go with original KD base  (not the newer version KD base)

Any light watery base made from mostly onion would do.

Ingredients
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5 tbs very finely chopped red pepper

5 chunks green pepper

mix 2 tbs tom puree with 1/5th tsp pataks kashmiri masalla and a little water.

half a  tomato chopped into 2 pieces.

3/4 onion (finely chopped)

5 tbs finely chopped coriander leaf

spring onions to garnish

small pinch of methi at start

3 OR 4 ladel base + water 
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spice mix

0.25 tsp rahjver tandorri masalla

3 quarters of a  tsp of salt

2 pinch poppy seeds

1/6th tsp cumin

half a tsp coriander powder

1/6th tsp paprika

1/5th tsp mild curry powder

1 tsp chilly powder


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COOKING TIME !
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add veg ghee and lots of sunflower oil to pan (approx 6 or 7  tbs of sunflower oil, + 2 tbs veg ghee)

Add pinch methi leaf

Add onion and chopped pepper (high heat) . fry until onion browns a bit. approx 4 mins

Add 3/4 tsp garlic and brown off - high heat

lower heat

add tom puree

add spice mix

30 secs

Add ladel of base - stir

back to high heat

add 2 more ladels base

add meat

add tbs of lamb stock (from pre cooking the lamb)

add tomato

Dont allow the base to brown (burn). add a bit of water to stop this.

add rest of base -

Add coriander leaf

Allow to dry right out - dont stir - plenty of evaporation of the base.

keep adding a little water to prevent base going brown. This takes practice
and gives the right taste. Aim to add 1 ladel of water maximum, possibly less.
 It depends how watery your base is. This takes practice to get the right taste, but I
got some great results with this recipe when my technique was right. Any feedback welcome. The base is very important with this recipe, and must be the right consistency. I used the old KD base, and made it watery, with much less ginger than her recipe.
 

[Derek Dansak]

The garlic in my recipe  is garlic paste , in case anyone is wondering. !   

[Secret Santa]

he even used 2 pans for the single dish he made me during my demo. half the sauce in one pan, the rest in another. this improves the taste he said.

DD can you elaborate on this technique please, it sounds interesting?

[Razor]

Hi DD/SS

he even used 2 pans for the single dish he made me during my demo. half the sauce in one pan, the rest in another. this improves the taste he said.

DD can you elaborate on this technique please, it sounds interesting?

I have come across this technique before, not first hand from a BIR or TA but from the Authentic Balti curry coobook.  The difference being that, the technique is employed to cook a Rogan Josh, not a Bhuna.  Anyway, here is a link http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4342.0

Hope that's of some interest.

Ray

[Secret Santa]

I have come across this technique before, not first hand from a BIR or TA but from the Authentic Balti curry coobook.  The difference being that, the technique is employed to cook a Rogan Josh, not a Bhuna.

Yes I've got that book and knew I'd seen a similar thing before, thanks for jogging my memory.

I'd still like to know how it is applied to a bhuna though if DD can oblige.

[Derek Dansak]

Hi Secret Santa , basically I stumbled across this technique by accident, and was experimenting with 3 things,  1) high heat during cooking, 2) adding water to thin the base during cooking. 3) longer evaporation of the base. This technique I use with bhuna is basically using high heat, with the addition of water to stop the tom puree and the base going brown during cooking. I noticed years ago that if the tom puree and base goes to dark it ruins the curry. I now believe this can be stopped if the base is very very watery, or you add a little water at the right time during cooking.  Its essential  to evaporate off the water, and aim to end with a dry curry. I had some good results with this technique, and believe its very similar to the way the chef at my local cooks bhuna. He adds a little ghee which is also good for high heat cooking. Using 2 pans was also a technique he used for my curry, presumably it improves heat distribution, and evaporation. He then tipped the contents of both pans into 1 silver TA container. it was the best bhuna he ever made me. I still remember it well !   ;D   

[Panpot]

Thanks DD, I can see why you do it this way to ensure the dry nature of the Bhuna without the tomato paste turning. PP

[Secret Santa]

Using 2 pans was also a technique he used for my curry, presumably it improves heat distribution, and evaporation. He then tipped the contents of both pans into 1 silver TA container. it was the best bhuna he ever made me. I still remember it well !   ;D

Oh so he was making exactly the same thing but in two separate pans. I misunderstood, I thought he was making two separate components of the bhuna in the different pans.

It's an interesting observation never the less.

[pforkes]

I tried the recipe at the beginning of this thread last night, and I have to say it was disappointing.  It was bland.

I'm going to have to think more about what it was missing, but first and foremost it was too tomatoey.

Hi, new to the site and loving it all. This is a recipe  I obtained 25 years ago from my local takeaway and it never fails. The methods and one particular ingredient aren't what I have seen elsewhere so please give it a try. My missus loves this and I swear I can cook it with my eyes closed!

Bhuna

Ingredients:

A quarter pint of oil
Cooked ingredient of choice, chicken or whatever or raw prawns
1 teaspoon each of Cumin, Coriander, Cayenne, Turmeric, Garam Masala. Mixed into a stiff paste with a little water
1 heaped tablespoon tomato puree
5 cloves garlic chopped and mashed into a paste
1 chopped green pepper
1 large onion, halved top to bottom then sliced into thin segments
2 chopped fresh tomatoes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 handful of methi leaves
1  teaspoon Rose Water
Fresh coriander to garnish

Instructions:

In a Wok or Karai heat oil over medium heat  then fry tomato puree and garlic puree for 2-3 mins till oil colours but take care not to brown garlic. Add onions and chopped green pepper and fry till softened, stirring all the time.

Add spice paste and fry 2 mins then add fresh tomatoes and fry 2 more mins.

Add chopped tinned tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and fry 3-4 mins, stirring all the time.

Add cooked meat or prawns and fry one minute.

Place methi leaves in one palm and rub together with other to bruise, then add to dish.

Add 1  teaspoon Rose Water and continue to fry till sauce thickens .

Finally add chopped fresh coriander leaves and serve.

Hope you enjoy this, the sauce is garlicky and to die for!

[RivalSavage]

Sorry you didn't enjoy it my friend. Of course adding stuff could help, for example mixing the spices into a paste with juices from the meat or seafood.

The tomato content can seem high, perhaps passata instead of chopped tomatoes may help but I simply can't do wrong round our house when I concoct this for the missus and her pals... which perhaps asks another question; given womens' love of tomatoes and garlic is this the ideal womens' curry?

Today alone (Friday 15th October 2010) I have had five women beg me for the recipe and of course I obliged.