This vegetable bhuna curry is a Bangladesh and Indian restaurant-style aromatic vegetable dish with thick hot curry sauce. It is versatile and you can make it using most of the vegetables and a handful of Indian spices that you have in your pantry.
Bhuna curry is one of the famous curries in the UK Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants and takeaways. If you are a fan of curry, feel free to check out our popular curry recipes such as Prawn Bhuna, Chicken Handi, Garlic Chilli Chicken Curry and Hyderabadi Chicken Curry.
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Basically, the bhuna curry cooking process is to fry the onions, tomatoes, and spices in oil to bring out the fragrance first, and then add your choice of meat or vegetables and cook until soft. Later it becomes like a curry when the juices from onions and vegetables come out and everything is cooked altogether well.
The texture of this vegetable bhuna curry is soft and it is best served with cooked rice or flatbreads. You can add sides like Papadam/Poppadoms, Raita, and vegetable samosa for a complete vegetarian set.
While cooking this curry, you will get to experience that luxurious aroma you get when you visit Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants.
Why would you like this dish
- A perfect vegetarian dish if you are looking for meat-free curry options.
- You can create a delicious curry with the vegetables that you've got in your fridge and pantry. One of the best ways to use up the leftover vegetables. No food waste!
- A healthy, nutritious curry dish that is loaded with different varieties of vegetables.
- A simple, humble, budget-friendly curry dish packed with the best flavours.
- Serve it as a side dish and pair it with other main dishes, appetizers, and rice, or serve it as a main dish with naan or rice.
Vegetables & Spices used
Vegetables :
- Potatoes - Add your choice of waxy potatoes such as Yukon gold or russet potatoes. Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
- Pumpkin or butternut squash – You can either use pumpkin or butternut squash. Need to peel and cut into similar bite-sizes with potatoes.
- Carrot - I added one large carrot, cut it into small cubes.
- Cauliflower - Cut cauliflower into small florets and make sure to rinse the vegetables well with plenty of water and then drain the water out.
- Shallot onions - I love to use shallot onions which are easy to crisp up when you saute them and in moisture. You can use Asian shallots, English shallots, or small brown onions.
- Tomatoes - Tomato brings the appetizing tangy flavour to the dish. Vine-ripened tomatoes or any meaty tomatoes are great for cooking curry. You can also use tinned chopped tomatoes, diluted tomato puree, or tomato passata.
Spices:
- Ground Spices - Coriander powder, curry powder, chilli powder, and turmeric powder are essential spices to make this veg buna.
- What type of curry powder to use and where to buy it? We use Madras curry powder or the supermarket's own brand mix curry powder. Readymade curry powders are widely available in most supermarkets in the UK.
- Chilli Powder – Any hot or mild red chilli powder but if you do not like the heat, you can swap it with mild paprika powder.
- Whole spices - Add whole spices to experience the authentic bhuna curry flavour. I added cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, and bay leaves.
How to make Vegetable Bhuna
- Heat the large heavy bottom pan to medium heat, and add oil and ghee. Add the whole spices, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamoms. Saute for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Then add the chopped onions and saute for 1-2 minutes until soft and translucent. Then add the garlic and ginger paste. Continue to stir until the onions are brown.
- Next, add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are reduced and the oil starts to separate. Then add the ground spices, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, and curry powder. Stir for a few seconds. Pour the water and yoghurt in. Season with salt to taste.
- Now add the potatoes, butternut squash, and follow with carrots. Combine well with the curry sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes. Close the lid and cook with low-medium heat for another 10-12 minutes until the potatoes and butternut squash are half cooked.
- Then add the cauliflower, green chillies and continue cook for another 4-5 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Add more water if needed.
- Make a taste test and add more salt or curry powder to taste. Finish with Kasuri methi and chopped coriander.
- Transfer to a serving plate and serve with fluffy basmati rice, naan, or choice of flatbread. Enjoy!
FAQ
This dish is moderately hot and contains chilli powder and fresh green chilies. You can make it mild, hot, or extra hot by adjusting the chilli amount, according to your liking.
In vegetable stir fry, the vegetables are just stir-fried and not cooked for a long time so they’re crunchy. In bhuna, vegetables are cooked until soft until the juice come out.
You can also add the aubergine, green beans, ladyfinger, spinach, green beans, chickpeas, broccoli, bell pepper, etc.
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Easy Vegetable Bhuna
Equipment
- Large heavy bottom pot/pan
Ingredients
- 100 gram Potato About 3.5oz, Cut 1-inch cubes.
- 100 gram Cauliflower About 1.7oz, Cut into small florets.
- 50 gram Butternut squash About 1.7oz, Cut 1-inch cubes.
- 50 gram Carrot Cut 1-inch cubes.
- 2-3 Shallots Finely chopped
- 2-3 Tomatoes Riped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Garlic paste Or finely grated garlic
- 1 tsp Ginger paste Or finely grated ginger
- 3 tbsp Yoghurt Plain/natural yoghurt
- 4-5 Green chilli Cut thin slices
- Handful Coriander Roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi Dried fenugreek leaves ( optional )
Ground Spices
- 1 tsp Coriander powder ( Ground coriander seeds )
- 1½ tsp Chilli powder Hot/mild chilli powder or paprika powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1½ tsp Curry powder see details in note
Whole spices
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds Zeera/jeera seeds
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 2-3 Bay leaves
- 4-5 Green cardamom
Instructions
- Heat the large heavy botton pan to medium heat, add oil and ghee. Add the whole spices, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamoms. Saute for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Then add the chopped onions and saute for 1-2 minutes until soft and translucent. Then add the garlic and ginger paste. Continue stir until the onions are brown.
- Next, add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are reduced and the oil starts to separate. Then add the ground spices, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, and curry powder. Stir for a few seconds. Pour the water and yoghurt in. Season with salt to taste.
- Now add the potatoes, butternut squash, and follow with carrots. Combine well with the curry sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes. Close the lid and cook with low-medium heat for another 10-12 minutes until the potatoes and butternut squash are half cooked.
- Then add the cauliflower, green chillies and continue cook for another 4-5 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Add more water if needed.
- Make a taste and add more salt or curry powder to taste. Finish with Kasuri methi and chopped coriander.
- Transfer to serving plate and serve with fluffy basmati rice, naan, or choice of flat bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Vegetables - You don't need to add the same vegetables that is used in this recipe. Feel free to add your favourite vegetables. Broccoli, bell peppers, aubergine, green peas, beans, chickpea, pumpkin, baby corn, and courgette goes well too.
- Vegetable cooking tips - Make sure to add the hard vegetables first, and follow with the soft vegetables to achieve evenly cooked vegetables.
- Whole spices - Whole spices bring more flavor to the dish. If you don't have whole spices you can omit them and add ½ tsp of garam masala.
- Curry powder - We usually add Madras curry powder, you can add your choice of Indian curry powder hot or mild.
- Curry heat - Adjust the chilli powder and fresh green chilli to your liking. You can also add paprika powder for colour if you cannot eat hot chilli powder.
Suzanne says
This is a lovely vegetable curry. I added courgette but I may add aubergine as well next time, though it will probably be enough for six servings with the addition of both.
David Brain Joe says
I am so happy to see the vegetarian option on your blog. My son loved this vegetarian bhuna curry so much. We added extra vegetables. I use okra and aubergine instead of carrot and butternut squash. We serve this curry with homemade naan. It was incredible. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Khin says
So glad that you enjoyed this veggie curry recipe, David. Thanks for sharing feedback with us.