Dry masala curry · Restaurant style

Chicken Bhuna Masala Recipe (Dry Restaurant Style)

Fry. Splash. Scrape and repeat.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Bhuna means fried. Chicken bhuna masala is a dry curry where the masala is fried again and again until it turns dark and clings to the chicken. It fails when water is added early or the masala burns. The fix is frying on medium, splashing a little water whenever it sticks, and scraping the bottom each time.

Prep15m
Cook40m
Servings4
kcal / serving440
LevelMedium
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of chicken bhuna masala

Why this recipe works

Small splashes

Big pours

2 tbsp water at a time builds colour.

Scrape

Leave it

The brown bits are the flavour.

Medium heat

High heat

High heat burns the masala.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Chicken

Spices

The NineFoods bhuna gauge

How far is the bhunai?

Look at the masala after each splash and scrape.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 4 stages

Step by step

1

Brown onions

Medium · 12 min
  1. Fry onions until deep golden.
  2. Add ginger garlic paste and fry 1 minute.
Look for: deep golden onions.
12:00
2

First bhunai

Medium · 10 min
  1. Add tomatoes and spices.
  2. Fry, splashing 2 tbsp water and scraping whenever it sticks.
Look for: brick red masala.
10:00
3

Chicken bhunai

Medium · 20 min
  1. Add chicken and keep the fry, splash, scrape cycle.
  2. Cover for 5 minutes once, then uncover and dry out.
Look for: dark masala clinging to chicken.
20:00
4

Finish

Low · 2 min
  1. Crush in kasuri methi and garam masala.
  2. Garnish with ginger and chillies.
Look for: glossy dark masala.
02:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Heat too high.

Fix next time

Use medium and splash water whenever it sticks.

Why

Too much water.

Fix next time

Cook uncovered and keep frying.

Why

Not fried enough.

Fix next time

Do more fry, splash and scrape cycles.

Why

Too long.

Fix next time

Use thighs and cover for 5 minutes in the middle.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
Kashmiri chilliColourPaprika
Kasuri methiAromaSkip it
ChickenMain proteinMutton, cook tender first
OilFryingGhee

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Naan or paratha.

Store

Fridge 3 days; it is a dry curry so it keeps well. Freezer 2 months.

Reheat

Fry in a hot pan with 1 tbsp oil and a splash of water, scraping the masala.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (how far is the bhunai) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All Pakistani recipes10 Essential Pakistani Spices and How to Use ThemHow to Make Garam Masala at HomeHow to Make Ginger Garlic Paste

Quick answers

Chicken Bhuna Masala FAQ

What does bhuna mean?

Bhuna means fried. The masala is fried until dark and thick.

How is bhuna different from karahi?

Bhuna uses onions and a long fry; karahi relies on tomatoes and high heat.

Why does my masala stick?

That is normal. Splash water and scrape the brown bits back in.

Is chicken bhuna dry?

Yes. The masala coats the chicken with little gravy.