Vegetable bhuna is a delicious restaurant-style vegan Indian curry with a well-spiced and moderately hot, unctuous and clingy sauce.
This is an easy curry to cook, and it comes together in a shade over 45 minutes; it is also a wonderful dish to make in advance and reheat later!
Easy Veg Bhuna
The bhuna curry is a much-loved dish on the menus of British Indian restaurants, and it is simply delicious.
It is typified by a thick well well-spiced, but not insanely hot, thick sauce, and it hails from Bangladesh and North East India.
This vegetable bhuna is not my first foray into this type of curry here, I have a pretty classic lamb bhuna, king prawn bhuna as well as a less typical beef bhuna that I adore!
This vegan offering shares much in common with vegetable karahi curry. Although that curry has influences from Pakistani cuisine and has a much looser sauce.
This recipe uses the sort of vegetables that I regularly have at home.
But you can change them up to use up whatever you have, really easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use different vegetables?
Yes, absolutely, but it is important to gauge the cooking time of each vegetable in order to ensure that they are all cooked nicely.
Roots like sweet potato, potato, carrots, celeriac and parsnip need parboiling and then adding at the start of the cooking process.
Vegetables that are best with a little bite, like sugar snap peas, mangetout or quick cooking things like peas, need to be added for just a few minutes.
If you are adding courgette (zucchini), broccoli or cauliflower, I would add them about halfway through the 15-minute cooking time mentioned in step 16!
Can this be made in advance?
Absolutely, this is wonderful reheated; the flavours develop a little.
It is fine left in the fridge for 3-4 days and can be reheated gently in a saucepan. But you will need to add a little more water as the moisture levels will drop in the fridge.
How hot is this curry?
I consider this to be a moderately spiced curry in terms of heat. However, we all have very different tolerance levels when it comes to chilli.
You should definitely use your experience, and if it sounds like there is a lot of chilli or not enough, then change it to your preferences.
Can I use pre-minced ginger?
If it is your thing, absolutely. Your dinner should be about you and not about me!
Serving Suggestions
Like many of my curries, I like to serve this thick and unctuous vegetable bhuna with some flatbread.
My tandoori style naan bread is a personal favourite, but the thicker nature of a bhuna sauce works well, if not better, with chapatis.
Rice has an affinity with curry, and this dish is perfect when served with pilau rice!
I also love to serve this dish with pickles or chutneys on the side, my favourite is mango chutney, but lime pickle works equally well.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Grater.
- Sieve or colander.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
Vegetable Bhuna Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Carrot 150g
- 200 g New Potatoes 1-1⅓ Cups
- 175 g Small Shallots 6 Whole
- 1 Medium Green Pepper
- 6 Small-Medium Tomatoes 350g
- 100 g Green Beans ⅔ Cup
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 15 g Ginger ½ thumb-sized piece
- 2 Red Chilli Peppers
- 2 tablespoon Mustard Oil You can use other types of oil
- 1½ tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¾ teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt Plus extra for parboiling vegetables
- 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek
- 1½ teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 125 ml Water ½ Cup
Instructions
- Bring a 20cm (8") pan of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Cut the carrots into bite-sized pieces.
- Cut the new potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to the boiling water and parboil them for 10-12 minutes. Then drain and set aside
- Cut enough of the root end of the small onions to tidy them up but not too much or they will fall apart, then peel them.
- Peel the garlic cloves and slice them as finely as you can.
- Remove the seeds and stem from the green pepper and cut it into 2.5cm (1") chunks.
- Peel the ginger and grate it.
- Cut the chillies in half lengthways.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes into a 1-1.5cm (½") dice.
- Heat a wok over a medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the mustard oil.
- Throw in the shallots or onions and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they are nicely coloured.
- Add the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, green peppers, red chilli peppers and drained potatoes and carrots and fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
- Throw in the water, tomatoes and tomato puree and stir to combine.
- Then add the brown sugar, garam masala, ground coriander, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, ground cumin, coarse sea salt and dried fenugreek, then stir and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Cut the green beans into 1.5-2cm (½-¾") lengths, throw them in and stir. If the sauce is looking a little dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water and cook for a final 5 minutes.
Carmen
Friday 10th of January 2025
Lovely curry. lots of ingredients but very easy to follow and cook