In the Indian culture, food is more than sustenance. It is a way of life. The food reflects not only the beauty of the culture but also its diversity, history, agriculture, and tradition. Indian food is a legacy with recipes handed down through generations and retaining the true heart of every person who has used them throughout the years. Indian food should create an experience that fills your mind and heart, just as much as it does your stomach. Traditional Indian food is more than a commodity; it is an honor. ― At Little India, we feature a host of traditional recipes for your pleasure. This season’s featured dish is Bhuna.
Bhuna: A Curry
When thinking of Indian food, most people jump to the thought of curry. While it is a popular and traditional dish, most people fail to realize that there are different kinds of curries. There are more than 15 types of curry, one of the delicious options being Bhuna.
Originally from Northern regions of India, Bhuna is a cooking technique that becomes the dish itself. Bhuna does not have a lot of sauce. It is usually thick, and sometimes more dry, than many other curries. The sauce is more comparable to a paste than a liquid and often has a medium heat. Bhuna can be made as a very hot dish or calmed down with added coconut cream for those with more sensitive taste buds.
The Bhuna Technique
To use the Bhuna technique, spices are cooked in a generous amount of oil at a high temperature. This high heat frying technique serves to extract the best flavors and aromas out of each spice. The heat should be high enough that adding some water is necessary to prevent burning. Once the spices are satisfactorily fried, the next ingredients to add are onions, ginger, and garlic; all of which contribute critically to the flavor of the sauce.
Once these additional ingredients are cooked, turn the temperature down to a lower heat, let the onions caramelize, and other ingredients soften. Once the majority of liquid evaporates, leaving the sauce thick and rich in flavor, add the final ingredients. The final ingredients consist of proteins, with chicken, lamb, and fish being the most common.
Whatever the final ingredient is chosen to be, it will be added to the sauce and cooked on a lower heat. During this portion of the process, the goal is to cook the meat thoroughly. The slow and low heating process pulls flavorful juices out of the meat to mix with the masterful blend of spices. The spices then infuse and cover the meat, making every bite a perfect display of spices. Once the meat is cooked and coated with the sauce, it is ready to be served over rice.
The Best Bhuna in Denver
If your mouth is watering for a taste of this delicious and traditional meal, pay a visit to Little India. Little India is among the top searched, rated, and recommended Indian restaurants in the city of Denver. With two locations, one on East 6th Avenue and the other on South Downing Street, it is easy to access five-star Indian food. We have also added a food truck to expand our reach even further.
At Little India of Denver, our Bhuna is available with chicken, fish, shrimp, lamb, or vegetarian, each having a unique but exquisite flavor. Join us, or place an order, for food that will take your taste buds to North India, where these recipes were born.
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