Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Bangladeshi Fish Bhuna
孟加拉香料乾炒魚
Recipe overview
Fish is lightly seared before finishing in a reduced onion-tomato spice base. Bhuna relies on concentrated fried spices rather than lots of liquid. The 8-minute marinade is included in preparation time.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 600 g Firm boneless white fish fillets
- 150 g Onion
- 200 g Tomatoes
- 2 Green chillies
- 10 g Coriander leaves
Fish marinade
- 1/4 tsp Ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Salt (Fish marinade)
Curry seasoning
- 1 tsp Minced ginger
- 1 tsp Minced garlic
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp Chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt (Curry seasoning)
- 60 ml Water
Cooking oil
- 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
02
Tools
- Large lidded frying pan
- Knife and board
- Fish spatula and plate
- Probe thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Dry and portion fish
Pat fish dry, remove pin bones and divide into four portions about 1.5 cm thick.
Step 2
Season and rest fish
Rub with the marinade turmeric and salt and refrigerate for 8 minutes while preparing vegetables.
Step 3
Cut onion and tomatoes
Slice onion finely and dice tomatoes small so the base reduces quickly.
Step 4
Prepare chillies and spices
Slit green chillies lengthways without separating them and chop coriander; moisten cumin, ground coriander and chilli powder with 20 ml water.
Step 5
Sear fish
Heat oil over medium heat and sear fish for 2 minutes per side until the outside sets; it may still be raw inside.
Step 6
Lift out fish
Lift fish onto a holding plate, leaving oil in the pan; do not use this plate directly for the finished dish.
Step 7
Brown onion
Cook onion in the same pan over medium heat for 4 minutes until golden at the edges, scraping occasionally.
Step 8
Fry spice paste
Add ginger, garlic and damp spice paste and fry for 1 minute until fragrant without blackening.
Step 9
Reduce tomatoes
Add tomatoes, green chillies and curry-seasoning salt; fry for 2 minutes, crushing tomatoes into a thick paste.
Step 10
Finish fish in sauce
Add the remaining 40 ml water, return fish, spoon sauce over it and cover on low heat for 4 minutes.
Step 11
Check fish centre
The thickest centre must reach 63°C and be opaque and flaky before serving; cook longer if needed.
Step 12
Finish with coriander
Scatter coriander, gently shake the pan to coat fish and serve four portions on clean plates with the thick sauce.
Common mistakes
- Reusing the holding plate can contaminate cooked fish.
- Too much water loses bhuna’s concentrated texture.
- Dry spices burn if fried too long.
- Vigorous stirring breaks fish after it returns to the pan.
Tips
Fine onion and tomato cuts and a wide pan allow quick reduction. This home version uses boneless fillets, but check for stray bones. Bone-in steaks or thicker pieces need more time and another centre-temperature check. Salt is divided between the fish and sauce; do not put it all on the fish.
