Hairy Bikers Chicken Bhuna

Hairy Bikers chicken bhuna is a deep, dryish curry, where chicken thighs and three peppers cook down in a fried onion and spice paste. It comes from their Eat for Life book at 305 calories a portion, and it takes about 55 minutes to serve 4.

In the book they pitch it as “the perfect answer to takeaway cravings,” and it earns that. The whole thing runs on blitzed spice paste rather than a shop-bought jar, so the flavour is fresher and far lighter than a takeaway.

The word bhuna means fried, which is the whole point, since you cook the spice paste down for ten minutes until it browns. Rush that and the curry tastes raw and thin, while a proper fry builds the deep, clingy sauce that defines a bhuna.

Hairy Bikers Chicken Bhuna Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:British Indian Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 55 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:305 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Onion, ginger, garlic, and warm spices are blitzed to a paste and fried until browned, then chopped tomatoes go in to build the base. Chicken thighs and peppers simmer in with stock and a little sugar, before a spoon of cornflour thickens the sauce to a glossy cling.

Ingredients

For the Curry

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 red pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 600ml chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Flaked sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Spice Paste

• 40g chunk of fresh root ginger, peeled
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp hot chilli powder (optional)

To Finish

• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp cold water
• Fresh coriander, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep the chicken and peppers: Trim any fat from the chicken thighs, then cut each into 3 pieces and season well with black pepper. Deseed the peppers and cut them into 3cm chunks, then set everything aside.
2. Blitz the spice paste: Put the ginger, onion quarters, garlic, curry powder, garam masala, and chilli powder in a food processor, then blitz to a paste. If you have no processor, grate the onion, ginger, and garlic and mix with the spices.
3. Fry the paste: Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan, then add the paste and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Tip in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring constantly.
4. Simmer the curry: Add the chicken and peppers and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the stock and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
5. Thicken and serve: Mix the cornflour with the cold water, then stir it in and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Season to taste and garnish with coriander.

FAQs

Why blitz the onions into a paste instead of slicing them?

The whole flavour depends on it, because the blitzed onion, ginger, garlic, and spice paste fries down into a base that coats every piece. Sliced onions would stay chunky and watery, so the sauce would never cling the way a bhuna should.

Fry the paste the full ten minutes until it browns, since that browning is where the deep flavour comes from. And it is the same blitz-and-fry base their chicken balti starts from, so the method carries across.

Why chicken thighs instead of breast in this bhuna?

Thighs are the right call, because they stay tender and juicy through the 20-minute simmer where breast would turn dry and stringy. They also carry more flavour, which stands up to the garam masala and curry powder.

Cutting each thigh into three keeps the pieces small enough to soak up the sauce while still holding their shape. And their chicken korma uses thighs for the same reason, so try it if you want something milder.

Is chicken bhuna healthy?

This version is, because it comes from the Hairy Dieters and lands at 305 calories a portion. There is no jar sauce, cream, or heavy oil, so it is far lighter than a greasy takeaway bhuna.

That light base also batch cooks well, since it keeps three days in the fridge and freezes for two months without splitting.

How is a bhuna different from a jalfrezi?

They look similar because both use peppers, but the cooking sets them apart. A bhuna fries its spice paste down and reduces the sauce so it clings, which gives that deep, cooked-in flavour.

A jalfrezi is quicker and fresher, since the chicken and peppers are stir-fried and charred, so their chicken jalfrezi has a brighter, crunchier bite.

Does chicken bhuna need rice, and how many calories does that add?

Rice is the classic partner, and the book suggests about 50 grams of dry rice per person. That adds roughly 180 calories a serving, so the full plate with rice lands near 485.

Basmati or plain long-grain both work, while warm naan is just as good for scooping up the clingy sauce.