Easy Lamb Bhuna – Stovetop, Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
, Updated Sep 28, 2026
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Lamb bhuna (also spelled bhoona) is the curry-house classic for anyone who loves bold spice without lots of sauce – tender chunks of lamb in a thick, dark masala that clings to every bite. It’s one of my favorite curries, duking it out with Rogan Josh for top spot.
The secret is in the name: you cook the tomato and freshly toasted spice paste hard until the oil starts to separate, and that’s where the deep, roasted flavor comes from. It takes about 1 hour 40 minutes on the stovetop, mostly hands-off, and I’ve included slow cooker and Instant Pot methods too.
Complete your meal with my Pilau Rice and irresistible Garlic Naan!
Lamb bhuna used to be among my top three choices whenever we indulged in Indian takeout (takeaway). I loved the meltingly tender chunks of lamb coated in the thick, rich sauce of tomatoes, onion and ginger.
My takeout days are on hold because I am watching my diet. Luckily, this doesn’t mean I have to give up my favorite curries. I can simply modify them a bit! My homemade Lamb Bhuna has been called the “best ever” by my husband, and I agree. It is just as delicious as the one we used to enjoy at our Indian restaurant. I think I have found a new family favorite!
What readers say
“Great recipe. This turned out perfectly. Nice and mild so suits all the family. I will use this a lot.”
– Lesley
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- What Is Lamb Bhuna?
- Is Lamb Bhuna Spicy?
- Here’s What You Will Need
- Best Cut of Lamb for Bhuna
- How to Make Lamb Bhuna
- Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Lamb Bhuna
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage, Freezing and Reheating
- Lamb Bhuna Curry (Bhuna Gosht) Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Troubleshooting
- Love Curries?
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-style flavor at home: the same deep, layered taste as your favorite takeout, made with everyday ingredients.
- Three ways to cook it: stovetop, slow cooker or Instant Pot – whichever suits your day.
- Deeply flavorful, not overly spicy: balanced warmth from fragrant spices, so it suits the whole family.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly: the flavors deepen overnight, and it freezes beautifully for batch cooking.
What Is Lamb Bhuna?
Bhuna isn’t a single recipe so much as a way of cooking. The word comes from the Hindi and Urdu bhunna – to fry or roast – and describes frying spices, onions and tomatoes in oil until the moisture cooks off and the masala darkens and turns glossy. The meat is then cooked in that concentrated paste with just enough liquid to make it tender, and the sauce is reduced again so it coats the meat rather than pooling around it.
The technique is used across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The medium-spiced lamb bhuna you’ll find on British curry-house menus owes a lot to the Bangladeshi cooks who shaped UK restaurant cooking from the 1960s onward, and it remains a takeout (takeaway) favorite.
Lamb Bhuna vs Bhuna Gosht
Gosht simply means meat in Urdu, so bhuna gosht is meat cooked bhuna-style – essentially the same dish. Home-style bhuna gosht from Pakistan and North India often uses bone-in meat and yogurt, while curry-house versions like this one lean on tomato and a toasted spice blend.
What Does It Taste Like?
Rich, savory and slightly smoky from the toasted spices, with warmth from cumin, coriander and fennel and a gentle bitterness from fenugreek. Because the sauce is reduced right down, the flavor is more concentrated than a saucy curry like korma or tikka masala.
Is Lamb Bhuna Spicy?
On a curry-house menu, bhuna usually sits in the medium range – hotter than a korma, milder than a madras or vindaloo. This version is on the milder side of medium: the chili flakes and two whole green chilies give warmth rather than fire. To adjust it:
- Milder: halve the chili flakes and leave the green chilies whole, then discard them before serving.
- Hotter: slit the green chilies before adding them, or add ½ teaspoon hot chili powder with the ground spices.
- Cool it at the table: serve with plain yogurt or raita.
Here’s What You Will Need
Research a dozen bhuna recipes and you’ll find twelve different spice blends – everyone adds their own touch. It’s a fairly long list, but everything is easy to find in supermarkets, online or in Indian grocery stores. You can also use a store-bought bhuna or curry paste if you want a shortcut.
- Whole spices for the bhuna powder: toasting and grinding them yourself gives the roasted, nutty depth. Cumin and coriander are the earthy base, fennel adds a subtle sweetness, mustard seeds a gentle bite, and fenugreek the savory, slightly bitter note you’ll recognize from curry-house cooking.
- Ghee or a neutral oil: ghee is richer and nuttier, and it handles the high heat of the bhuna stage without burning.
- Onions: they cook down into the body of the sauce and add natural sweetness to balance the spices.
- Garlic and fresh ginger: the aromatic backbone. Grating the ginger with a microplane lets it melt into the sauce.
- Cardamom, cloves and bay leaves: they add warm fragrance as the curry simmers. Fish them out before serving.
- Whole green chilies: leave them whole for mild warmth, slit them for more heat, or leave them out.
- Diced lamb: shoulder or neck are best – see below for more on choosing a cut.
- Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste (tomato purée): the tomatoes form the sauce, and the paste adds concentrated color and savory richness.
Best Cut of Lamb for Bhuna
- Lamb shoulder: my first choice. The fat and connective tissue melt during the long simmer, so the meat stays juicy.
- Lamb neck fillet: just as good, and often cheaper.
- Leg of lamb: leaner, so cut it into larger chunks and start checking it about 15 minutes early.
- Beef: although not traditional, readers love this with braising beef (chuck steak) – allow an extra 20–30 minutes of simmering.
- Leftover roast lamb: reader Vicki uses up her Sunday roast this way. Use about half to two-thirds of the weight and simmer just until the sauce thickens.
How to Make Lamb Bhuna
- Toast the spices. Dry fry the bhuna spices in your casserole dish over medium heat until they start releasing their aromas – be careful, as they burn easily. Tip them into a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder.
- Soften the onions. Heat the ghee (or oil) and fry the onions over medium-low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.
- Add the aromatics. Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, salt, cardamom pods and cloves. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Bhuna the masala. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, ground bhuna spices and whole chilies. Cook over high heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until you have a thick, dark paste and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
- Add the lamb. Add the lamb and stir to coat it in the paste. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the stock and bring to a rolling simmer.
- Simmer. Cover with the lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to check the liquid level.
- Reduce the sauce. Take the lid off and increase the heat to high. Cook for another 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and clings to the meat.
- Season. Check the seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Discard the bay leaves, whole chilies and cardamom pods (if you can find them).
- Serve. Garnish with cilantro (fresh coriander) or mint leaves and thinly sliced chilies. Serve over basmati rice with a little cooling yogurt on the side.
Cook’s tip
Cook the masala until the oil separates
Don’t rush the paste stage. Keep stirring over high heat until the tomato and spice mixture darkens and thickens and you can see oil pooling at the edges – that’s the “bhuna” happening, and it’s what gives the curry its deep, roasted flavor. If it starts to catch, add a splash of water and keep going.
Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Lamb Bhuna
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Build the flavor base in a skillet first (steps 1–5 above), then transfer everything to the slow cooker with just ½ cup (125ml) stock – the lid traps the moisture, so you need far less.
- Cook on LOW for 8–10 hours or HIGH for 6 hours. If the sauce is watery at the end, cook uncovered on HIGH for 30 minutes, or tip it into a pan and reduce over high heat, stirring, until thick.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Toast the whole spices in a skillet (dry frying in the Instant Pot can trigger the HOT warning), then sauté the onions, garlic and ginger in the pot on the Sauté (Less) setting.
- Add the spices and lamb with 1 cup (250ml) stock, layer the tomatoes and chilies on top without stirring, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Release the steam manually, then finish on Sauté (High) for 5–8 minutes, stirring, to thicken the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your lamb bhuna over pilau rice with a little yogurt or raita to mellow the spices, and something to mop up every bit of the sauce – garlic naan or my two ingredient flatbreads. For a curry night spread, add saag paneer on the side.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
- Fridge: cool the curry completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Like most curries, it only gets tastier after a day or two.
- Freezer: freeze in portions (without garnishes) for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: warm gently in a pan with a splash of water, as the thick sauce can catch. Make sure it’s piping hot all the way through before serving.
HAVE YOU MADE MY LAMB BHUNA RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Lamb Bhuna Curry (Bhuna Gosht)
Video
Ingredients
Bhuna powder
- 2 tsp chili flakes
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
Lamb Bhuna
- 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or canola (rapeseed) oil
- 2 large onions , peeled and diced
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 ½ tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 pods cardamom , lightly crushed
- 5 whole cloves
- 14 oz (400g) crushed tomatoes
- 2 green chilies
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 lb (1.3kg) diced lamb
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) vegetable stock or water (see method for the slow cooker and Instant Pot)
- 1 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped (= coriander) or mint to garnish
- lime wedges to serve
- 1 red chili thinly sliced, to serve (optional)
- 1 green chili thinly sliced, to serve (optional)
- plain yogurt
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Dry fry the bhuna spices in your casserole dish over medium heat until they start releasing their aromas. Be careful as they can easily burn! Tip the spice mix into a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and grind to fine powder. Set aside.2 tsp chili flakes, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- Heat the ghee (or oil) and fry the onions over medium-low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) , 2 large onions
- Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, salt, cardamom pods and cloves. Cook for 2 minutes.5 cloves garlic , 1 ½ tbsp freshly grated ginger, 2 bay leaves, 8 pods cardamom , 5 whole cloves
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and whole chilies. Add the ground bhuna spices and cook over high heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until you have a thick, dark paste and the oil starts to separate at the edges.14 oz (400g) crushed tomatoes, 2 green chilies, 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Add the lamb and stir to combine and coat in the sauce. Cook for 5 minutes then add the stock and bring to a rolling simmer.3 lb (1.3kg) diced lamb, 1 ¼ cups (300ml) vegetable stock
- Cover with the lid and reduce the heat to lowest setting. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to check the liquid levels.
- Uncover the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook for another 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and clings to the meat.
- Check the seasoning and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaves, whole chilies and cardamom pods.1 tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Garnish with cilantro (fresh coriander) or mint leaves and sliced chilies. Serve over basmati rice with a little cooling yogurt on the side.2 tbsp cilantro , lime wedges, 1 red chili, 1 green chili, plain yogurt
Instant Pot Instructions
- Fry the spice powder in a pan – dry frying in an Instant Pot will likely give you a HOT warning. Grind spices as above.
- Heat the ghee or oil in the Instant Pot (select ‘Sauté’ press ‘Adjust’ and select ‘Less’). Once ghee has melted or oil is simmering add the onions, ginger and garlic and stir for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the ground spices, tomato paste, salt, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and lamb and stir to combine.
- Pour in 1 cup (250ml) stock and stir. (Note this is slightly less than the amount listed for stovetop method).
- Add the crushed tomatoes and chilies – do not stir.
- Cover, set vent to sealing and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Release the steam manually.
- Open the Instant Pot and cook the curry on ‘Sauté’ High setting, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
- Check the seasoning and adjust if needed. Discard the bay leaves, whole chilies and cardamom pods before serving.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Follow steps 1–5 of the stovetop method, then transfer everything to your slow cooker.
- Add ½ cup (125ml) stock – less than the stovetop method, as the lid traps the moisture. Cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8–10 hours.
- Uncover and check the sauce. If it needs reducing, cook uncovered on HIGH for another 30 minutes, or transfer to a large pan and cook over high heat, stirring, until thick.
- Check the seasoning and discard the bay leaves, whole chilies and cardamom pods before serving.
Notes
- How to serve: Serve your curry over basmati rice with a little yogurt to mellow out the spices. Naan bread is great for mopping up the sauce.
- Cool and store in the fridge for up to three days. Like most curries, this lamb bhuna will only get tastier after a couple of days. You might need to add a little water when reheating as the sauce is very thick and could catch.
- Freezing instructions: cool completely after cooking (don’t add any garnishes). Divide into suitable containers. Freeze for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and heat on the stove, adding a little water if needed. Make sure the curry is piping hot all the way through before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s usually medium – hotter than a korma but milder than a madras or vindaloo. This version is on the milder side: the chili flakes and whole green chilies add warmth rather than fire. Halve the chili flakes for a milder curry, or slit the chilies for more heat.
A bhuna is a drier curry – the sauce is reduced until it coats the meat. Rogan josh is saucier, gets its deep red color from Kashmiri chili and is usually finished with yogurt.
“Curry” is a broad term. Bhuna describes the method – frying the spice paste until the oil separates, then reducing the sauce – which gives a thicker, more intensely flavored result than most saucy curries.
Yes – several readers have made it with beef and loved it. Use braising beef (chuck steak) and allow an extra 20–30 minutes of simmering, until tender.
The texture won’t be the same. For ground meat, make my keema using lamb instead of beef.
Yes! Use about half to two-thirds of the weight of raw lamb, and simmer just until the sauce thickens – the meat only needs to heat through.
One reader split the sauce and added a can of chickpeas and some lentils to one portion, with a squeeze of lemon – two curries for the price of one. Serving it with plenty of rice and flatbreads helps too.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sauce is thin and watery | Not reduced enough at the end | Cook uncovered over high heat, stirring, until it clings to the meat |
| Lamb is still tough | Needs more time, or a lean cut | Cover and simmer 15–20 minutes longer; use shoulder or neck next time |
| Bitter taste | Spices (especially fenugreek) scorched while toasting | Toast over medium heat just until fragrant, then take them out of the pan |
| Sauce catches on the bottom | Heat too high while reducing | Stir constantly and add a splash of water |
| Too spicy | Chilies slit, or too many chili flakes | Stir in a spoonful of yogurt off the heat and serve with raita |
Great recipe. This turned out perfectly. Nice and mild so suits all the family. I will use this a lot
delicious recipe i tried beef just as good, thank you for sharing
This was a great recipe! I only had 1.5 lb of lamb, so just before I added the lamb to the pot I transferred about a third to another pot and added a can of chickpeas and some lentils to that, with a touch of cream and some lemon juice added at the end to give it a somewhat different flavor profile. (I split the stock proportionally between the two, and added more water of the lentils to absorb while cooking). It made for a delicious meal with two different dishes, like if we ordered out Indian. Served it on basmati rice with raita. This is a keeper, thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it ❤️😘
How would you adapt this for ground lamb/lamb mince? It’s all I can find locally right now. Thanks jn advance!
Hi Ashley – with lamb mince I would advise you to make Lamb Keema (https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/beef-keema/) subbing ground lamb for the beef. If you want to make the Bhuna recipe you can use chuck steak (braising steak) in place of the lamb. It will taste slightly different but still delicious
Fantastic recipe which I have been using for a while. I tend to use up the leftover lamb from a lamb roast and it works brilliantly, obviously reduce the cooking time and only use about half to two thirds of the meat suggested for making with raw meat. Fabulous easy tasty recipe. Thank you
Love the different choices of cooking methods, I am also looking for new recipes for my instant pot and this one is a keeper!!! The flavours are so deep and fragrant love it!! I used only half the amount of tinned tomatoes and replaced the rest with fresh whole baby tomatoes, it gave it a fresher feel on the taste buds I thought. Thanks x
love love love!!! its full of flavor, it has several ingredients,but not difficult to make. also like that Lucy included the slow cooker and the instapot instructions. this recipe is a keeper
For the stove top instructions you didn’t state when the chili was to be added.
Apologies Tim I have updated the recipe now, goes in with the tomatoes
I made this for dinner last night. Couldn’t get any lamb so used beef instead. The curry turned out really well, it was very tasty. Thank you very much for this awesome recipe. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Hi Joon, good to know it works with beef as well as lamb! Thanks for your comment ❤️