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Bangladeshi

Beef kala bhuna

Non-vegetarian

কালা ভুনা · kala bhuna

Chattogram's famous 'black' beef: cooked slowly in mustard oil with a roasted spice blend and stirred for a long time until the meat is almost black, dry and intensely savoury.

Beef kala bhuna is a Bangladeshi curry, ready in about 2 hours 50 minutes and made with beef chuck and mustard oil. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Beef kala bhuna: very dark, dry-fried spiced beef chunks in a terracotta bowl
Photo: Dolon Prova / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
2 h 30 min
Total
2 h 50 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
438

Ingredients

6 servings

Roasted kala bhuna masala

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Dry-roast the whole spices, dried chillies and bay leaves (opens in a new tab) in a pan until fragrant and a shade darker, then grind with the nutmeg (opens in a new tab) to a fine powder.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the mustard oil (opens in a new tab) in a heavy pot and fry the onions (opens in a new tab) until dark golden. Add the ginger and garlic (opens in a new tab), then the beef, turmeric (opens in a new tab), chilli powder, salt and half the roasted masala, and fry until the meat is well browned.

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

  3. Step 3

    Add the water, cover and cook on low heat until the beef is tender.

    • 90 min
    • low heat

    A pressure cooker cuts this to about 25 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Uncover, add the remaining masala and keep frying and stirring until all liquid is gone and the beef is coated in a dark, almost black, oily masala.

    • 35 min
    • medium heat

About this dish

Origin
Chattogram (Chittagong), Bangladesh · Commonly attributedMore food from Bangladesh
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Braised, Sautéed, Slow-cooked
Taste
savoury, spicy (chilli heat), aromatic / warmly spiced, rich
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Beef chuck · Mustard oil · Cumin · Ground coriander · Cardamom · Cinnamon
Techniques
Sautéing · Braising · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

  • 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

438 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 362 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 34%
  • Carbohydrate 12%
  • Fat 54%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy438 kcal121 kcal
Protein38.3 g10.6 g
Carbohydrate13.9 g3.9 g
Net carbohydrate10.5 g2.9 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.4 g0.9 g
Fat26.7 g7.4 g
Saturated fat5.4 g1.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol——
Sodium1114 mg308 mg
Salt equivalent2.8 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
870 mg
Calcium
90 mg
Iron
5.2 mg
Magnesium
60 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
35 µg
Vitamin C
8 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
3.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
22 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.
  • “—” 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

  • Patience is everything: the colour comes from long frying, not from any dark ingredient.

Common mistakes

  • Stopping while there is still gravy — kala bhuna should be dry.

Serve with

  • Serve with plain rice, paratha or khichuri on a rainy day.

Food safety

  • Wash hands, boards and knives after handling raw beef.
  • Cook until the beef is tender and piping hot throughout.
  • Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days refrigerated and freezes well for 3 months; the flavour improves on day two.

Reheating

  • Reheat in a pan until sizzling and piping hot.

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

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. 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 3 cm pieces, with a little fat1000 g
Used in step 2

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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