How to make Indian Bhuna Masala? Bhuna Masala is the most basic step in most indian food , you can call it the soffritto of Indian Cuisine - whether it be a chicken curry or a vegetarian sabzi.Almost every dish starts with this.This is the first step towards making a fantastic curry.
What is Indian Curry Sauce aka Bhuna Masala?
"Bhuna" literally translates to "Roast".The onions and tomatoes are roasted together along with a few choice spices to create a base for all Indian sauces.Mastering this is mastering Indian Cuisine.
"Bhuna" literally translates to "Roast"
This masala is akin to soffritto used in Spanish,italian,portughese and Latin American cooking- the base used for all sauces.Similarly this Indian Bhuna Masala is the base to all curries.
This Bhuna Masala recipe is my goto way of making the base sauce but it's not the only way.You can change the texture and taste by altering the size and cut of the onions and tomatoes.If you add an onion paste instead of the chopped onion - the masala will be very different from this.Similarly if you puree everything and dump in the Kadhai, it will be a very different masala.
How to make Indian Curry Sauce
There are two ways of making it.Depending on your patience.
Stove Top Curry Sauce
This method is slow but the result is absolutely gorgeous, jammy Curry Sauce with a great depth of flavour.
A bhuna Masala like all sauce bases needs love and care.You cannot rush it.You should not rush it.It needs a patient and a loving hand.The slower you cook this, the better the results.
The proof of a good bhuna masala though lies in it's jammy consistency and concentrated flavour - The onions should be medium brown- by that I mean some of the onions should have brown caramelisation but not be burnt! It's a delicate balance really!
Instant Pot Indian Curry Sauce
This is the shortcut method.It's for all all busy moms who can't spend as that much time in the kitchen.It's a hybrid method.
Step 1: Browning the Onions
Step 2: Pressure Cooking with tomatoes.
This will yield a slightly more runny sauce but great neverthless. The advantage of this step is that you can make a lot more sauce and freeze it!
How to use Indian Curry Sauce
With this ready in my fridge, I can make curries on the fly! In fact, the lazy bum in me just adds a couple eggs to it to make a very fast Egg Bhurji without compromising on the flavour.The real clincher here though is - that it freezes really well.So just spoon it into a zip lock bag, write the date, pop it in the freezer and forget all your curry woes!!
I like mine to have a little bit of texture especially in dishes like Rajma, channa and my mom's Paneer Capsicum
The bhuna masala you see in the picture is what I used to make Dal Tadka,Rajma Masala, my mothers paneer capsicum and my chicken curries.
At one point I used to eat this along with Maggi and Chips.Lol.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil or Ghee
- 3 Cloves of Garlic- Crushed
- 1 cm Ginger- Grated or Crushed
- 1 Green Chilli- Split Optional
- 3 Onions- Chopped
- 4 Tomatoes- Pureed or grated
Spices
- 1 teaspoon Jeera
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Powder / Paprika
- 1 tsp Garam Masala (Optional)
- 1 Bay Leaf (Optional)
- 2 Clove (Optional)
- 1 Star Anise (Optional)
Instructions
Stove Top Method
- Heat the oil in a Kadai or a pan
- When its hot, add Jeera and let it splutter.Add Bay leaf, cloves and Star Anise if using.
- Add the Green Chilli and Ginger Garlic.Cook for 30 seconds
- Add the chopped onions and saute till they are medium brown.Takes about 10 minutes.
- To the onions, Add the spice powders- Coriander powder, Garam Masala and Chilli Powder.Roast the masala for about 30 seconds.
- Once the onions and masalas are cooked, add the tomatoes puree.Mix everything toghether
- Bhuno or cook the masala till the water evaporates and the masala looks solidish and the smell of raw tomato goes away.This step takes about 10-15 minutes.
- Use as required in Curries and Sabzis.
Instant Pot Method
- Heat the instant pot in SAUTE mode.Once hot, add oil.
- When it's hot, add Jeera and let it splutter.Add Bay leaf, cloves and Star Anise if using.
- Add the Green Chilli and Ginger Garlic.Cook for 30 seconds
- Add the chopped onions and saute till they are medium brown.Takes about 10 minutes.
- To the onions, Add the spice powders- Coriander powder, Garam Masala and Chilli Powder.Roast the masala for about 30 seconds.
- Once the onions and masalas are cooked, add the tomatoes puree.Mix everything toghether and cancel SAUTE ,close the instant pot.
- Select PRESSURE COOK for 10 minutes on HIGH with the valve in SEALED position.
- After the cooking time is over, Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Open, give it a stir.Let is cool down before transferring to storage.
Simin says
Hey Chhavi, love the recipe!! Thanks a ton!! Can you tell me how to add Paneer in this ?
chhavi says
yes absolutely