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Bangladeshi

Bangladeshi beef bhuna

Non-vegetarian

গরুর মাংস ভুনা · Gorur mangsho bhuna

Beef slowly 'bhuna'-fried with a heap of onions, garlic, ginger and whole spices in mustard oil until the masala clings to the meat in a dark, intensely savoury coating.

Bangladeshi beef bhuna is a Bangladeshi main course, ready in about 2 hours 20 minutes and made with beef chuck and mustard oil. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Bangladeshi beef bhuna: dark, dry-fried spiced beef chunks in a white bowl
Photo: Munni Akter Mim / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
2 h
Total
2 h 20 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
369

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the mustard oil (opens in a new tab) in a heavy pot until it just starts to smoke, then lower the heat. Add the cinnamon (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), cloves (opens in a new tab) and bay leaves (opens in a new tab), then the onions (opens in a new tab), and fry until soft and golden.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and ginger pastes and the ground spices with a splash of water and fry until the oil separates.

    • 5 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the beef, yogurt (opens in a new tab) (if using) and salt and fry over medium-high heat, stirring, for 15 minutes until the meat releases its juices and they reduce.

    • 15 min
    • medium-high heat

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw beef.

  4. Step 4

    Add the water, cover and cook on low heat until the beef is very tender, 1–1½ hours, stirring now and then.

    • 75 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Uncover, add the green chillies and keep frying and stirring (the 'bhuna') until the gravy is almost gone and the meat is coated in a dark, glossy masala. Finish with garam masala (opens in a new tab).

    • 12 min
    • medium heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Bangladesh · Commonly attributedBhuna is a cooking technique used across Bengal and the subcontinent; this dry beef version is a Bangladeshi festive staple, especially at Eid.More food from Bangladesh
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Curries
Cooking method
Braised, Sautéed
Taste
savoury, spicy (chilli heat), aromatic / warmly spiced, rich
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: Paleo-style, Dairy-freeWith the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Beef chuck · Mustard oil · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Cinnamon
Techniques
Sautéing · Braising · Bhunao · Reduction

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom yogurt
  • Contains, can be adapted: Mustardfrom mustard oil

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

369 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 304 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 40%
  • Carbohydrate 11%
  • Fat 49%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy369 kcal121 kcal
Protein37.8 g12.4 g
Carbohydrate10.7 g3.5 g
Net carbohydrate8.3 g2.7 g
Sugars2.8 g0.9 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.5 g0.8 g
Fat20.4 g6.7 g
Saturated fat4.6 g1.5 g
Trans fat0.4 g0.1 g
Cholesterol107 mg35 mg
Sodium918 mg302 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
807 mg
Calcium
73 mg
Iron
5 mg
Magnesium
55 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
25 µg
Vitamin C
16 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
3.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
18 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: yogurt.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The final dry-frying is what makes a bhuna — be patient and scrape the bottom often.

Common mistakes

  • Stopping while the sauce is still soupy; bhuna should be thick and clinging.

Serve with

  • Serve with plain rice, polao, khichuri or paratha.

Food safety

  • Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until piping hot all the way through.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days refrigerated; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Reheat in a pan with a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Beef chuck, cut into 4 cm pieces, some fat and bone left on1000 g
  • Yogurt (optional)60 g
Used in step 3

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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