Why It Works
- Black mustard seeds help recreate the zesty flavor of mustard oil. (Mustard oil is an ingredient that is key to the dish, but sourcing FDA-approved bottles may be difficult.)
- Braising the meat in the oven instead of cooking it completely on the stovetop is less labor-intensive and ensures the meat is tender.
For those of us with ties to Chittagong, Bangladesh, kala bhuna—a spiced beef stew made with mustard oil—is akin to an ancestral calling. Whenever it graced the table in my childhood home in Chittagong, it was nothing short of an event, and I mean that quite literally. The dish is often cooked in massive stewpots by baburchis (chefs) to feed thousands during mezban, Chittagonian celebrations held to memorialize the dead or to celebrate new life. Whatever is left over—often a lot—is delivered to family and friends. The beef is dark, rich, and so tender it looks frayed, and needs little more than plain white rice, sliced cucumbers, red onions, and a hot green chile to become the perfect meal. My family ate it for days, until our stomachs said “no more.”
The cooking method involved here is called bhuna, a Hindi and Bengali term that loosely translates to “roasting” or “frying.” Traditionally, the process involves coating beef in a spice blend, mustard oil, and sliced onions, then frying and stirring it over high heat to sear the meat and cook the onions and spices. The meat is then simmered over low heat with frequent stirring, close supervision, and the occasional splash of hot water to prevent burning.
For the most part, the dish relies on the moisture and fat from the beef as its primary source of liquid; over the course of several hours, this turns into a thick sauce that clings to the meat. The result is the dish’s signature blackish-brown chunks of beef (“kala” means black in Bengali), tender and almost tattered from hours spent in an onion-rich, deeply caramelized sauce, giving the dish its name: kala bhuna.
While I have deep respect for this age-old technique, one drawback is the need for continuous stirring and scraping to ensure even cooking and prevent the sauce from burning at the bottom of the pot. These days, though, I have neither the time nor the arm strength to sustain that level of effort.
To cut down on some of that elbow grease, my method relies on the oven. After an initial cook on the stovetop to help the meat release its juices, the oven does the heavy lifting. A low-and-slow two-hour braise renders the beef meltingly tender while still holding its shape. The dish is finished on the stove, where the bhuna technique comes into play to reduce the sauce into the rich, dark, caramelized consistency of kala bhuna.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
The Mustard Oil Dilemma
Chittagonians insist there is no kala bhuna without mustard oil. It has a high smoke point— crucial to the bhuna technique—and the oil adds a zesty, pungent edge to the dish that it feels almost sacrilegious without. The trouble is that most mustard oil brands sold in South Asian grocery stores in the US are not FDA-approved for consumption. Because pressed mustard oil contains high erucic acid—an element that studies on animals in the 1950s suggested could contribute to heart disease—these bottles are labeled “for external use only.”
Yet, millions of South Asians remain loyal to these mustard oil brands and continue cooking with them. Whether you should follow suit or not is entirely up to you; you can also opt for the first and only FDA-approved mustard oil from Yandilla. If you want to skip the mustard oil, you can opt for neutral canola oil instead. If you choose the canola oil route, I suggest adding two teaspoons of black mustard seeds to the spice blend, which helps recreate the flavor of mustard oil. Although not the same as mustard oil, this certainly helps add some of the fiery punch you’d find in a classic kala bhuna.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
About the Spice Blend
You’ll find the usual suspects of South Asian cooking in the spice blend: cumin, coriander, green and black cardamom, and cloves. But one ingredient that’s in all traditional kala bhuna preparations is radhuni: wild celery seeds that have a sharper citrusy, anisey, almost grassy quality. It’s a crucial Bengali ingredient found in panch phoron (Bengali five spice) and used in many home-style dishes, including dals, achars, and fish preparations. Although regular celery seeds aren’t as piquant as radhuni, they still get the job done. However, radhuni can be purchased from online specialty stores, such as Kalustyans, and at most South Asian grocery stores.
As with many dishes, there are several renditions of kala bhuna recipes out there. Many of them use whole spices instead of a spice blend, but like my mother, I prefer the latter because it helps create a richer sauce. It’s quick to make and easy to store, whether it’s for a day or even months ahead.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
Big Flavor, Low Effort: This Bengali Stew Is Built for Cozy Days
Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)
For the Spice Blend:
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
5 blade mace, see notes
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
8 cloves
10 green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
For the Kala Bhuna:
2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless chuck, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes
2 medium red onions (16 ounces; 454 g total), halved and thinly sliced cross-wise, divided
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons garlic paste (see notes)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large bay leaves
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
6 Indian or Thai green chiles, split in half lengthwise, divided
1 tablespoon (15 ml) distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon (9 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or same weight
1 cup (240 ml) mustard oil or canola oil, divided (see notes)
2 teaspoons panch phoron (see notes)
1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, such as Lee Kum Kee
2 teaspoons garam masala, homemade or store-bought
To Serve:
Steamed rice, such as basmati or jasmine
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced cross-wise
Lime wedges
2 to 3 Indian or Thai green chiles, thinly sliced cross-wise
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 300ºF (150ºC).
For the Spice Blend: In a small skillet or sauté pan set over medium heat, toast black peppercorns, mace, celery seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, green cardamom pods, black cardamom pods, and, if using canola oil instead of mustard oil in step 3, black mustard seeds, tossing frequently, until the spices are warm, fragrant, and slightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, transfer to a small bowl, and let cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and finely grind.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
For the Kala Bhuna: In a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven, combine beef, half the onions, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chile powder, turmeric, nutmeg, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, 3 green chiles, vinegar, salt, 3/4 cup mustard oil or canola oil, and all of the spice blend. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, toss beef and onions to evenly coat with spices. (Mixing with a clean hand instead of a spatula or wooden spoon will ensure the spices are well-dispersed).
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
Set the Dutch oven over high heat and cook, stirring often, to cook meat until evenly warmed through, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until the meat releases a good amount of moisture, about 5 minutes.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
Add 2/3 cup water, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Cover with lid, transfer to the oven and cook until meat is tender and knife pierces it easily without resistance, about two hours.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
When meat has cooked for 1 1/2 hours, add remaining 1/4 cup mustard oil or canola oil and 2 teaspoons panch phoron to a small saucepan set over medium heat. When seeds begin to sizzle, reduce heat to low and add remaining onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
Using oven mitts or kitchen towels, carefully transfer pot to stovetop. Add fried onions, dark soy sauce, and garam masala. Using a flexible, heat-proof spatula, stir and scrape the bottom and sides frequently, and cook, uncovered, until the sauce has reduced and darkened, and remaining sauce is thick and clings to the beef, 12 to 15 minutes. Skim off excess fat as needed. (When stirring and scraping, be sure not to break the chunks of beef.) Add the remaining three green chiles. Cover, remove from heat, and let rest until green chiles are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Serve.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai
Special Equipment
Spice grinder or mortar and pestle, 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven
Notes
Blade mace can be found online and at specialty grocery stores. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mace can be used in place of blade mace.
If using canola oil instead of mustard oil, add 2 teaspoons of black mustard seeds to spice blend in step 2.
Ginger and garlic pastes can be purchased at South Asian grocery stores.
Panch phoron is a Bengali whole spice blend made of cumin, brown mustard seeds, fenugreek, fennel, and nigella seeds. It’s often used in achars and is easily available at any South Asian grocery store.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The spice blend can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 6 months.
Kala bhuna is great served immediately, but the flavors tend to intensify after a day as the meat sits in the clingy sauce. Once cooled, kala bhuna can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
