19/09/2026
Kala Bhuna (serves 5)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Cuisine : Bangladeshi
Kala Bhuna is a meat curry made of beef, lamb or mutton that originated in Chittagong,
Bangladesh. In Bengali, the word "kala" or "kalo" means black and "bhuna" means a fiery, spiced dry curry (the verb "bhuna" means : to fry). Kala bhuna gets its name from its appearance, as the meat goes blackish during a slow process of frying it with an assortment of distinct spices. Tender meat stewed in its own juices, Kala Bhuna is surely a flavour bomb‼️
Source : Wikipedia (adapted)
➡️Ingredients :
• 1 kg beef, lamb or mutton
• 1/2 cup mustard oil, divided (1/4 cup for the wet spice paste and 1/4 cup for the seasoning at the end)
• 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp sugar or to taste (optional, but balances the flavours)
• 1/2 cup water, if required
↘️Ingredients for the dry spice powder :
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3/4 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp black pepper corn
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 10-12 green cardamom
• 2 small black cardamom or 1 big (optional)
• 4 cloves
• 1 floret of mace
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated (nutmeg powder can be used instead)
• 4-5 dry Kashmiri red chillies for colour (Kashmiri red chilli powder can be used instead)
• 1 tsp wild celery seeds (known as “radhuni” in Bengali and “ajmod” in Hindi)
↘️Ingredients for the wet spice paste :
• 1/4 cup mustard oil
• 1-inch piece ginger, roughly chopped
• 6 big cloves of garlic, crushed or roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups onion, roughly chopped
• 4 green chillies (adjust according to taste)
• 4 dry red chillies (adjust according to taste)
↘️For the seasoning :
• 1/4 cup oil (preferably mustard oil, but any neutral oil is good too)
• 1 tbsp ginger juliennes
• 5-6 big cloves of garlic, whole
• 1/2 an onion, finely chopped
↘️For the garnish : (optional)
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 small onion, cut into rings
• 1 fresh lime, cut into thin rinds
➡️Method :
1. Prepare the dry masala :
Heat a small pan on medium heat until it turns hot. Turn off the heat and add in all the ingredients : coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper corns, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, mace, nutmeg, Kashmiri red chilli and celery seeds. Dry roast the spices on low heat for 2-3 minutes or until aromatic. Remove in a bowl and let it cool.
After 5 minutes, grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
2. Prepare the wet masala :
Heat a thick - bottomed pan. Add oil, gradually add all the spices mentioned under wet masala : ginger, garlic, onion, green chillies and dry red chillies. Fry all the spices in oil until they are fragrant and the onion turns golden. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Once cool, grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
3. Marinate the meat :
Marinate the meat in all of the wet spice paste and HALF of the dry spice powder (about 1 1/2 tbsp) that you have prepared. Keep aside for 30 minutes to an hour at least.
📌Reserve the leftover dry spice powder in an airtight container, for later use.
4. Slow cook the meat :
After 1 hour, heat a heavy - bottomed pan and transfer the meat along with the marinade to the pan. Cook over medium heat, with frequent stirring in between, until the oil starts getting released from the spices (about 30 minutes). Cook until the meat turns from brown to almost blackish, scraping the spices from the bottom and the sides. Add salt and sugar to taste. Add a splash of water, if you need to, and cook until the meat is tender (another 30 minutes if you're cooking in an open pan; total time: 1 hour).
📌Ideally Kala Bhuna is slow - cooked over fire, without adding any water, but if you want to expedite the process, you may cook in the pan for 30 minutes, until the oil surfaces, and then transfer it to a pressure cooker, add 1/2 cup water and cook for another 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally (another 10-15 minutes). Alternatively, you can cook in an instant pot as well.
5. Season the meat :
Heat a small pan. Add oil. Next, add in the ginger juliennes, whole garlic cloves and the finely sliced onions. Sauté until onion turns golden. Pour this over the prepared meat dish. Also add the remaining dry spice powder that was reserved (about 1 tablespoon). Give one quick stir. Cover and let it rest until served.
6. Garnish Kala Bhuna :
Garnish Kala Bhuna with chilli flakes, onion rings and lime rinds (optional).
7. Serve Kala Bhuna :
Kala Bhuna can be served with paratha, puri, naan, roti (flatbread), pulao (flavoured rice)or steamed rice. The earthy aroma of the wild celery seeds (radhuni/ajmod) is a standout! Enjoy the deliciousness!❣️
