Bhuna gosht is a homestyle Indian dish made with bone-in mutton or lamb cooked with aromatics and whole spices to create a dry goat curry that’s absolutely loaded with flavor.
What is Bhuna Gosht?
Bhuna gosht is a richly spiced Indian or Pakistani dish made with lamb, mutton, or goat that cooks low and slow, often without a lot of added water or liquid, so it simmers in its own juices. Unlike saucy curries like butter chicken masala, this is considered a “dry curry,” where the meat clings to a a thick, intensely flavorful masala rather than swimming in gravy or shorba.
The word “bhuna” refers to a style of cooking that involves frying meat with whole spices over medium to high heat until the ghee or oil separates and the sauce reduces, becoming deeply caramelized and concentrated.
Key Ingredients
While you may find bhuna gosht in restaurants, it’s especially beloved as a homemade dish in Indian households. Here’s what you’ll need to make it at home.
- Gosht: “Gosht” means meat in Hindi—typically mutton, goat, or lamb
- Onion:Thinly slice red or yellow onions to encourage caramelization, forming the base of the dish.
- Garlic: Go heavy on the fresh garlic, using eight whole garlic cloves.
- Ginger: Simmer the meat with freshly grated ginger and use it to garnish the dish.
- Yogurt: A dollop of plain yogurt helps tenderize the meat and flavor the masala.
- Ground Spices: For this bhuna gosht recipe, you will need kosher salt, coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder (or red chili powder), turmeric powder, and ground nutmeg since whole nutmeg can be difficult to come by.
- Ghee: Ghee is made from butter that has had all the milk solids removed. It is a staple in Indian cuisine, and imparts a deep, nutty flavor.
- Whole Spices: Include whole spices and peppers such as, use dried boriya chilies (or fresh green chilies), bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, black cloves, black peppercorns, green cardamom pods, and black cardamom pods.
- Garnish: Finish the mutton curry with chopped cilantro leaves, fresh ginger, green chilies, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
How to Make Bhuna Gosht
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Rinse the mutton pieces in a colander and add it to a Dutch oven with ½ cup of water and one teaspoon of kosher salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 1 to 1½ hours, until the meat is tender. Drain and set the meat aside.
Step 2: Warm ⅓ cup of ghee in the same pot. Add the dried chiles, bay leaves, cloves, black peppercorns, green cardamom pods, black cardamom pods, and a cinnamon stick, and cook until they sputter.
Step 3: Add the sliced onions and cook over medium heat until they soften, for about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 4: Return the cooked mutton to the pot, then add the yogurt and one teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook over high heat until the yogurt releases its liquid.
Step 5: Stir in the coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, and ground nutmeg. Then, lower the heat to medium, cover the pot with the lid, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Step 6: Increase the heat to high and fry, or bhuna, until the masala thickens and coats the mutton. The ghee will separate and escape to the sides of the pan. Taste and season with salt, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use very little water. The key to achieving the best flavor and consistency is to use as little water or broth as possible when cooking the goat. Let the natural juices from the goat meat do the work.
- Check for tenderness. Goat or mutton can take longer to cook than other meats, and the timing can vary depending on where you buy it and how fresh it is. That’s why this recipe includes a range; just keep an eye on it and check for tenderness.
- Bhuna the mutton. Start by tenderizing the goat in a Dutch oven, then cook it over high heat with aromatic spices until the ghee separates and the masala thickens into a rich, concentrated “dry curry.”
If you enjoy this mutton bhuna gosht recipe, try more Indian-inspired recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Bhuna gosht masala is perfect for scooping up with warm naan or roti, but it’s just as delicious served over a bed of piping hot basmati rice or jeera rice. For a refreshing contrast, pair it with a little raita, cucumber salad, or classic kachumber salad to complement the richness of the dish.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish cool completely, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Bhuna gosht freezes for 4-6 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the leftovers in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop for the best results.
More Indian Recipes:
Bhuna Gosht
- 1 pound bone-in mutton, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ⅓ cup ghee
- 6 dried boriya chilies
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 1½ -inch cinnamon stick
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 -inch knob of ginger, peeled and julienne, divided
- ¾ cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
- Rinse the mutton pieces in a colander and add it to a Dutch oven with ½ cup of water and one teaspoon of kosher salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 1 to 1½ hours, until the meat is tender. Drain and set the meat aside.
- Warm ⅓ cup of ghee in the same pot. Add the dried chiles, bay leaves, cloves, black peppercorns, green cardamom pods, black cardamom pods, and a cinnamon stick, and cook until they sputter.
- Add the sliced onions and cook over medium heat until they soften, for about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Return the cooked mutton to the pot, then add the yogurt and one teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook over high heat until the yogurt releases its liquid.
- Stir in the coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, and ground nutmeg. Then, lower the heat to medium, cover the pot with the lid, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Increase the heat to high and fry, or bhuna, until the masala thickens and coats the mutton. The ghee will separate and escape to the sides of the pan. Taste and season with salt, and enjoy!
- Use very little water. The key to achieving the best flavor and consistency is to use as little water or broth as possible when cooking the goat. Let the natural juices from the goat meat do the work.
- Check for tenderness. Goat or mutton can take longer to cook than other meats, and the timing can vary depending on where you buy it and how fresh it is. That’s why this recipe includes a range; just keep an eye on it and check for tenderness.
- Bhuna the mutton. Start by tenderizing the goat in a Dutch oven, then cook it over high heat with aromatic spices until the ghee separates and the masala thickens into a rich, concentrated “dry curry.”