Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Lamb Bhuna
359 kcal a serving, against 647 for the traditional version. That is 288 kcal off, or 45%, with 43.2g of protein. Serves 6. 95 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Fatty pieces of lamb shoulder simmered in a frankly staggering amount of ghee, aggressively reduced until the fat completely separates from a thick, dark paste of onions, fresh tomatoes and toasted spices.
What changed, and what each change costs
100g of ghee for 20g of ghee
Frying the spices properly is the first step of a bhuna, and you do need some fat for that. But 100g is massive overkill. A small splash of oil is plenty to toast the cumin and coriander seeds without leaving them swimming.
What it costs you. You lose the buttery, rich aroma that ghee brings to a curry. Vegetable oil is totally neutral, so the final dish relies entirely on the spices and the meat for flavour.
1000g of lamb shoulder for 1200g of lean lamb
Shoulder is brilliant for slow cooking because the fat melts and bastes the meat. Stripping that fat out means you need to be careful with the heat, but it lets me pack in far more meat overall. Upping the quantity fills the pan and ensures everybody gets a proper portion.
What it costs you. Lean lamb can dry out if you rush it. What you've got is a firmer, meatier bite that demands proper chewing. A melt-in-the-mouth fatty cut anymore is a different dish and you know where to find it.
Nothing for 200g of beef stock
Because I took out the fatty shoulder and the ghee, the pan lacks the liquid needed to braise the lamb before the final dry-fry stage. Stock bridges that gap, cooking the meat gently before boiling away to nothing.
What it costs you. It adds 45 minutes to the cooking time. You have to simmer the liquid away completely to get the dry, clinging sauce that defines a bhuna.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 647 | 359 |
| Protein | 29.8g | 43.2g |
| Fat | 53.4g | 14.9g |
| Saturated fat | 25.6g | 5.9g |
| Carbohydrate | 11.9g | 12.3g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.6g | 12g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
This demands a bit of patience at the stove, but the payoff is massive. You get an intensely flavoured, fiercely spiced dry curry that grips the meat perfectly. By dropping the ghee and using lean lamb, you get a huge plate of proper food that won't leave you feeling sluggish. It demands a cold drink and a stack of fresh flatbreads to scrape the pan clean.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback