Homemade Chicken bhuna curry served with brown rice and raita

Chicken Bhuna with Rice Recipe

90 Minutes
Serves: 2

Enjoy the exciting flavours of a spicy curry night with this delicious chicken bhuna curry. Packed with an array of Indian spices and tender cooked chicken, This spicy dish is served with brown rice and a fresh cucumber raita 

Recipe Ingreds

Curry

  • 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 3 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 5 leaves curry leaves
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 0.5 whole fresh chilli
  • 3 cm fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • salt (to taste)
  • 5 whole tomatoes
  • 300 ml water
  • 2 sprig fresh coriander
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 4 fillet chicken thighs boneless
  • 1 whole onions

Raita

  • 0.5 whole cucumber
  • 4 sprig fresh coriander
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 180 ml yoghurt

Rice

  • 40 grams brown rice

Recipe with pictures Steps

How to make chicken bhuna with rice

  • heat the frying pan
  • ensure the pan is hot
  • Add the chilli flakes and all the seeds to the frying pan and stir continuously until the seeds are a darker shade
  • empty into a mortar or spice grinder
  • grind the seeds

Step 2

  • heat the remaining oil in the frying pan
  • peel and finely chop the onions
  • Add the onions to a pan
  • cook for 5 minutes

Step 3

  • peel and crush the garlic using the garlic crusher or chop finely
  • wash and finely chop the chilli
  • peel and grate the ginger
  • add the chilli, ginger and garlic to the frying pan

Step 4

  • cut the chicken into chunks
  • add the chicken to the frying pan
  • cook till lightly browned

Step 5

  • wash and chop half of the tomatoes
  • add the tomatoes and curry leaves to the frying pan
  • cook until the tomatoes form a paste

Step 6

  • add the roast spices to the frying pan
  • cook for a minute or two

Step 7

  • set the oven to 180C 350F or gas mark 4
  • add the water to the frying pan
  • Bring to the boil
  • turn down the heat cook gently
  • place the lid on the frying pan
  • cook for 10 mins

Step 8

  • add the contents of the frying pan to a casserole dish
  • taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary
  • wash and chop the remaining half of the tomatoes
  • add the tomatoes to the casserole dish
  • place in the oven
  • cook for 20 mins

Step 9

  • add the rice to the boiling water
  • cook till the rice is soft with a slight bite
  • drain and keep warm till ready to serve

Step 10

  • peel and grate the cucumber
  • squeeze the lemon(s) .
  • wash and finely chop the fresh coriander
  • place all the raita ingredients in a bowl
  • stir to mix the ingredients
  • Refrigerate

Step 11

  • wash and finely chop the fresh coriander

Step 12

  • remove the curry from the oven
  • place the curry on a serving plate
  • serve with rice and raita
  • sprinkle with coriander
  • if cooking extra for the freezer
  • store the extra curry in a freezable container allow to cool and then place in freezer

Recipe Utensils

  • 1 casserole dish
  • 2 chopping board
  • 1 fish slice
  • 1 frying pan with lid
  • 1 Garlic crusher
  • 2 grater
  • 2 large knife
  • 1 lemon squeezer
  • 1 medium pan
  • 1 mortar and pestle
  • 1 small bowl

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About our chicken bhuna recipe

A delicious chicken curry with tender chicken thighs cooked to perfection in a rich tomato-based sauce, flavoured with a delicious medley of spices that include warm brown mustard seeds, spicy chili flakes, and earthy coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds, This tasty dish is served alongside fluffy brown rice and a refreshing cucumber raita, Whether you're hosting a curry night or simply craving a comforting meal, this recipe is the perfect solution 

Ingredients for our chicken curry

Spices -  the dish is made with whole spices and seeds, the spices can be substituted with ground spices such as ground cumin

Fresh spices - ginger, chilli and garlic  - you can replace with pre prepared products such as garlic paste etc 

Chicken - you can use any cut of chicken, we use chicken thighs as they cook well and add extra flavour

Tomatoes - we use fresh tomatoes for this recipe, you can use tinned tomatoes and if you want a stronger tomato flavour you can add tomato puree

When to make chicken bhuna 

This dish is ideal for any dinner with friends especially a curry night, you can make it the day before as it takes longer to cook than most curries, store overnight in the fridge and the flavours will develop, making the curry extra delicious. . The chicken thighs are so tender that its worth the extra time to cook. This is definitely perfect for true curry lovers, its not difficult to cook but it is time consuming so you may want to cook extra and freeze  It’s an ideal autumn winter dish

Can you freeze this curry

Yes, this recipe is perfect for freezing, once cooked allow to cool fully before placing in the freezer, when ready to eat ensure it is fully defrosted before reheating 

Serve this traditional chicken bhuna curry with

We served this curry with rice but as it is a dry curry with a thick sauce it goes well with all Indian breads. Serve it with a garlic naan on the side or rolled up in a chapati as a snack. The curry can be quite spicy so vary the amount of chilli to match your personal tastes

What makes our chicken curry the best

This spicy spiced curry, is packed full of amazing tastes, the star of this dish is the amazing spice mix which takes on amazing flavours as the sauce reduces.

Other curries you might like to try 

Thai Chicken Curry with Rice

Chicken and Spinach Curry with Poppadoms

Lamb and Potato Curry served with Brown Rice

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