Kala Bhuna (কালা ভুনা) — Chittagong Dark Beef Bhuna

• 1.2 kghalal beef chuck (cut into 4 cm cubes)
• 90 mlmustard oil
• 500 gbrown onions (thinly sliced)
• 12 clovegarlic (crushed to a paste)
• 2 inchfresh ginger (peeled and grated)
• 6green chiles (slit lengthwise)
• 120 gplain full-fat yogurt
• 2 tbspground coriander
• 2 tspground cumin
• 2 tspKashmiri chile powder
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 tspgaram masala
• 14 gsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 2 stickcinnamon
• 8 podgreen cardamom (lightly cracked)
• 1 podblack cardamom (lightly cracked)
• 8whole cloves
• 4dried red chiles
• 1 tbspcoriander seeds
• 2 tspcumin seeds
• 1 tspfennel seeds
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 0.25 tspground nutmeg
• 600 mlwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the beef pieces thoroughly with kitchen paper so they fry rather than steam. Mix the beef with yogurt, garlic paste, ginger, ground coriander, ground cumin, chile powder, turmeric, black pepper, salt, and sugar, then cover and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.

2. 2

   Place a dry heavy pan over medium heat and toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns for 2 minutes, shaking the pan often. Cool them for 5 minutes, grind them finely, and keep this roasted bhuna spice separate for the final darkening stage.

3. 3

   Heat the mustard oil in a heavy Dutch oven or karahi over medium-high heat until it shimmers and its raw sharpness softens, about 3 minutes. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, and dried red chiles, and fry for 45 seconds until fragrant but not scorched.

4. 4

   Add the sliced onions and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are deep golden brown at the edges. This onion browning is essential for Kala Bhuna because the dark color should come from patient bhuna frying, not from burnt spices.

5. 5

   Add the marinated beef and all of its spice coating to the pot, then stir hard for 10 minutes so the meat is sealed in the mustard oil and onion masala. Keep the heat medium-high and scrape the base of the pot often, allowing the masala to thicken and cling to the beef.

6. 6

   Pour in 500 ml of the water, bring the mixture to a strong simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 90 to 110 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the beef is tender enough to yield when pressed with a spoon.

7. 7

   Uncover the pot and raise the heat to medium, then add the slit green chiles, roasted bhuna spice, garam masala, ground nutmeg, and the remaining 100 ml water. Fry and stir for 20 to 25 minutes until the liquid evaporates, the oil separates, and the beef becomes very dark, glossy, and almost dry.

8. 8

   Rest the Kala Bhuna off the heat for 10 minutes so the oil settles and the spices round out. Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves before serving, and spoon the dark beef with its clinging masala over rice, paratha, or bhuna khichuri.