All recipes

Beef Bhuna

Name: Beef Bhuna
Total time: 129 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 800 g Beef, cut into medium pieces; 3 pc Onion, sliced; 1.5 tbsp Ginger, made into a paste; 1.5 tbsp Garlic, made into a paste; 1 tsp Turmeric; 2 tsp Red chilli powder; 1 tsp Coriander powder; 4 pc Cardamom; 2 pc Cinnamon; 2 pc Bay leaf; 5 tbsp Cooking oil; to taste Salt; 100 g Yogurt

129 min Medium 5 servings

Serves 5 · Total 129 min · Prep 20 min · Cook 109 min

Updated on 9 November 2026

AI-generated illustration (Gemini)

Beef cooked low and slow with onion and spices until almost all the liquid has cooked away, leaving the meat coated in a thick, dark, clinging masala rather than swimming in gravy. The everyday beef dish of choice in Bangladesh, eaten with rice or paratha.

Quick answer: 129 min in total · serves 5 · main ingredients: Beef, Onion, Ginger, Garlic · amounts in metric and US

Jump to recipe

Ingredients

Metric US

800 g 1.75 lb Beef, cut into medium pieces
3 pc 3 pc Onion, sliced
1.5 tbsp 1.5 tbsp Ginger, made into a paste
1.5 tbsp 1.5 tbsp Garlic, made into a paste
1 tsp 1 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp 2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp 1 tsp Coriander powder
4 pc 4 pc Cardamom
2 pc 2 pc Cinnamon
2 pc 2 pc Bay leaf
5 tbsp 5 tbsp Cooking oil
to taste to taste Salt
100 g 0.4 cup Yogurt (Optional)

Steps

Timers run only while this tab is open. The Degchi app keeps them running on a locked phone.

Marinate the beef with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chilli, coriander powder and salt; leave for at least 30 minutes.
⏱ Marinating · 30 min
Heat the oil and fry the sliced onion with the bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamom until deep golden.
⏱ Frying the onions · 8 min
Add the marinated beef and cook uncovered on medium-high heat, stirring often, until the meat is well browned.
⏱ Browning the beef · 10 min
Add 1/2 cup hot water, cover, and cook on low heat for 60 to 90 minutes (25 to 30 in a pressure cooker) until the beef is tender, topping up water only if it dries out too soon.
⏱ Cooking the beef · 80 min
Uncover and cook on high heat, stirring, until almost all the liquid has dried off and the masala clings to the meat.
⏱ Reducing to a bhuna · 8 min
Remove from the heat and let it rest for 2-3 minutes so the flavours settle before serving.
⏱ Resting · 3 min

Cook this in the app — get Degchi on Google Play

Get it on Google Play

Not sure you have everything? Check this against your pantry

Frequently asked questions

How long does Beef Bhuna take?

129 minutes in total: about 20 minutes of prep and 109 minutes of cooking.

Is Beef Bhuna hard to make?

Degchi rates it medium. The method has 6 steps, and 6 of them have a timer you can start on this page.

How many people does Beef Bhuna serve?

This recipe serves 5. Use the toggle above the ingredient list to see the amounts in metric or US measures. For more or fewer portions, scale every amount in the same proportion, or use the servings control in the Degchi app.

Is Beef Bhuna halal, vegetarian or eggless?

It is marked halal in our recipe data. It is not vegetarian. It has no egg. It contains beef. Check the labels on any packaged ingredients for your own needs.

What will I probably need to buy for Beef Bhuna?

Everyday staples that Degchi counts as pantry basics: turmeric, red chilli powder, cooking oil, salt. Spice-box items: coriander powder, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf. Fresh items you will probably need to buy: beef, onion, ginger, garlic.

Any tips for making Beef Bhuna?

Resist adding too much water at once — bhuna is built by cooking in stages, not by boiling the meat in a lot of liquid.