Bhuna masala, bhuna means sautéed and masala is spice blend. This basic spice blend is a flavorful trifecta(5 ‘fecta’ actually) of onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and ground spices. As from many of my recipes and generally Indian cuisine it is the base of many Indian recipes. Having this blend handy significantly cuts out a lot of boring prep and cook time to get a nutritious and tasty meal on the table in no time. Simply pop a couple of these pods in a pot add your choice of protein or vegetable, cook and you’re done.
What is Bhuna Masala
Bhuna masala is the act of slow sautéing chopped onion until they’re beautifully caramelized. This is the foundation of beautiful things to come. Once the onion is browned and caramelized we add the chopped tomatoes, garlic and ginger and continue cooking until the tomatoes have reduced and the garlic, ginger has mellowed. This is the foundation of a well made curry, adding layers of ingredients and cooking them down to make a good base. I’m not going to lie it’s time consuming, no one has the time midweek in today’s world to spend that kinda of time to prep a meal. Having these pods handy in the freezer is a huge time saver meal prep hack that makes dinner time much easier and quicker.
How to Make Bhuna Masala
- Slice or chop the onions. Sauté them for a good 20 minutes until they start to brown and caramelize.
- Use either fresh IN SEASON tomatoes whenever possible, makes a huge difference, or canned tomatoes will also work.
- I suggest using Roma tomatoes for fresh because they have less moisture content and cooks faster.
- Off tomato season or for convenience canned (or jarred) diced tomatoes work just fine. Canned tomatoes are picked at the peak of ripeness and taste just as good as fresh tomatoes resulting in better tasting curry paste.
- Once the onions are caramelized add the chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic and ginger. Cook until most of the moisture has evaporated and reduced.
- Add the ground spice mix well and cook for a few more minutes. Cool for a few minutes then blend into a smooth paste.
- Spoon into egg bite molds, or ice cube molds, baby food molds and freeze in batches. Once fully frozen unmold them and save in freezer safe bags and use with in 6-8 months.
How to Use the Bhuna Masala Pods
To use the pods defrost about one or two pods in the refrigerator overnight and add it to the pan along with your protein or vegetables. You can you it directly from frozen and it will defrost s it cooks along with the other ingredients.
About 2 pods for a pound of chicken or vegetables or about 2 cups of cooked beans or lentils is the approximate ratio I recommend, but feel free to experiment with the number of pods, you may prefer a stronger flavor in which case add an another one. The number of pods will vary depending on the quantity of curry you want.
Recipe Suggestions
- Punjabi homestyle chicken curry
- Bhuna Lamb Curry
- Delhi Style Mataar Paneer
- Tofu Kofta Korma
- Gobi Maatar Korma
- Punjabi Rajma
- Authentic Chana Masala and more….
Bhuna Masala( Food Prep Hack)
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 lbs onions, sliced or chopped
- 3 lbs fresh or canned tomatoes
- 3 Fat inch ginger, roughly chopped
- 1 head garlic, about 15 cloves
- 3 Tbsp heaped ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder or mild paprika
Instructions
- Warm the oil in large sauté pan and add the chopped onions. Cook the onions for 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown. As the onions brown evenly and begin to caramelize stir frequently.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Next add the tomatoes and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until the tomatoes cook down and starts to loose it’s moisture. Stir the bottom of the pot to scrape off any brown bits. Sprinkle a little water if the vegetables catch to the bottom.
- Add all the ground spices, give everything a good stir, to mix evenly. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally.
- Cool for about 10 minutes. Blend the masala in a blender or use an immersion blender( (smooth or a little chunky). The sauce will continue to thicken a bit as it cools. Spoon into the silicone molds and freeze. It can be done in batches, transfer the remaining to a container and keep refrigerated until the first batch freezes. Then repeat freezing with the remaining paste
- Once frozen transfer into freezer safe zip bags and use within 6-8 months. I’ve used them after 8 months they’re still good to use.
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