Chicken Bhuna Masala
Chicken Bhuna is a spicy dish with a well-balanced sweet and sour flavour. The sweetness comes from the caramelised onions, while the sourness comes from the tomatoes.Bhuna chicken is a popular dish available in restaurants and now you can make it at home with this recipe. Chicken Bhuna Masala goes well with fried basmati rice and Indian bread.
Ingredients
Marinate Chicken
- 500 gram bone in chicken
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
Prepare Fresh Masala Powder
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp whole black pepper
- 4 cloves
- 4 green cardamoms
For the Gravy
- 2 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dry red chilies
- 3 medium onion finely chopped onion
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 medium tomato puree
- 1 tsp chili powder Adjust to your taste and heat tolerance.
- 1 tsp (optional)Kashmiri chili powder or deggi mirch Kashmiri chili powder gives Chilli Flavor without the extreme heat!
- 1 green chilli, chopped Optional, Adjust to your heat tolerance
- 3 tbsp yogurt
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
Instructions
Marinate Chicken
- Clean the chicken pieces and marinate them with the ingredients indicated under marination. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
- Cut the onion into very small pieces.
- Puree 2 medium tomatoes and keep it aside.
Prepare Ground Masala Powder
- Heat a pan without any oil, dry roast 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp whole pepper corns, 3 cloves, 4 green cardamom over low heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Add the spices in to blender and grind them in to fine powder.
Pan Fry Chicken
- In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot add marinated chicken, fry 3-4 minutes on high heat. Remove the chicken and keep it aside.
Make Gravy
- In a pan, heat 4 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot add 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 dry red chilies. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Add 3 medium onion chopped and 1/2 tsp salt
- Saute the onion until it is golden brown color, about 10 mins on medium heat, stirring often. It takes time to brown the onion and this gives a nice flavor to the curry.
- When onion is light brown, add chopped green chilies, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, and saute for 2 mins on low heat until the onion is golden brown. Add 2 tablespoons of water and "bhuno" the masala mixture, allow the onion to brown nicely.
- Add 3 medium tomato puree and let it come to a boil. Saute 3 minutes over medium heat, cook until the oil begins to separate. Add 2 tablespoons of water and let all water evaporates.
- Add half-fried chicken and fry 1 min on high heat.
- Add 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder, and ground masala powder. Saute 2-3 mins on medium heat and then reduce heat to low and fry for another 3 mins.
- Add 3 tbsp yogurt and cook until oil separates over medium-low heat. 3-5 minutes. If you like gravy, add 1/2 cup water.
- cover and cook for 10 min on low heat or until the chicken is soft and cooked well, stir once after 5 mins.
- Check salt and spices, adjust to your taste
- Add 2 tbsp chopped coriander and stir all together. Simmer for 2 mins.
- Serve with Basmati rice, Naan, chapathi etc.
Notes
Do not add too much loose yogurt because it will result in thin consistency gravy.
Keep stirring when frying the onions and spices to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
If the masala starts to stick to the bottom of the Kadai, keep sprinkling little water on it and adjust the heat. Cook, covered until the masala begins to separate from the oil.