This Instant Pot lamb bhuna curry is a delicious choice for a pressure cooked homemade curry. It's so much quicker to make than cooking a lamb curry on the hob and is much cheaper than ordering a takeaway too! The lamb is deliciously tender and beautifully spiced as well.
Homemade curries are among my favourite meals and this lamb bhuna curry is definitely a recipe I'll be making again. The meat just falls apart, it's not too hot but can easily be made more fiery by adding pickles when serving.
Luckily my whole family loves hot and spicy food but it is great to be able to adapt a homemade curry to suit the tastes of everyone in the family.
This lamb curry is an adaptation of my chicken bhuna curry, which, although cooked on the hob, can be adapted to cook in the Instant Pot or another pressure cooker.
Ingredient notes for lamb bhuna curry
To make this pressure cooker lamb bhuna curry you'll need:
- Onions - I usually use brown onions but you can use red ones.
- Garlic - Use fresh garlic or replace them with a garlic paste.
- Root ginger - Use fresh root ginger or use a paste or frozen grated ginger.
- Chilli pepper - A red or green chilli pepper is fine. If you don't have any fresh chillies just use extra chilli powder.
- Spices - Garam masala, ground coriander, chilli powder, cumin, turmeric
- Chicken - You can use chicken breast or thighs. My family tend to prefer breast but thighs work really well.
- Tomatoes
- Tomato puree
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) - This can be omitted if you're not a fan of coriander. We love to add lots at the end and when serving.
How to make lamb bhuna curry
In the recipe card further down the page I have included instructions for how I make this curry in my Instant Pot pressure cooker. However, you can adapt it if you have a different kind of pressure cooker. You can also adapt the recipe and cook it on the hob if you don't have a pressure cooker. It will take longer but be just as tasty!
Lamb bhuna is a very simple curry to cook. Basically you just need to cook down the aromatics then add the spices along with a little water if they feel too dry. I use the saute mode for this.
Then add the lamb and seal on all sides before adding the tomatoes and tomato puree. I add a little water too as the pressure cooker needs a minimum amount of water to be able to pressure cook. Once everything has been added, switch the saute mode off and switch the pressure cook mode on. I have found that this lamb curry is beautifully tender if I set the time to 20 minutes. I like to stir in fresh coriander at the end but you could miss this out if you are not a fan of coriander.
Can you adapt the recipe?
Yes of course! I've already adapted this from my chicken bhuna curry so do feel free to use chicken instead. It would cook more quickly so I would set the pressure cooker to 10 minutes.
You could also add a few vegetables along with the lamb. I think root vegetables and potatoes work really well in this.
What can you do with the leftovers?
This curry keeps really well in the fridge in a covered container for 3 days. In fact, like most curries it arguably tastes even better the next day!
To reheat put it in the microwave or in a small saucepan with a dash of water and reheat till piping hot.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, just put it in a freezer-proof container and it will keep well for at least 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
What can you eat with it?
I love to eat it with basmati rice but it's also great with naans and chapatis. I sometimes make these nigella seed flatbreads to serve with it and I also love to serve a raita alongside it.
Recipe
Pressure Cooker Lamb Bhuna Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 onions finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 chilli pepper or more if you want it hotter!
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 600 g lamb diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 3 tablespoon fresh coriander diced
Instructions
Pressure Cooker Instructions (I'm using the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid - You may need to adapt the instructions if using a different model or brand.)
- Heat a little oil in the Instant Pot on the saute mode level 1. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli pepper. Stir fry gently until soft.
- Add all the spices plus a tablespoon or two of water if the pan is too dry.
- Stir fry for a minute and then add the lamb. Seal on all sides.
- Blend the tomatoes. I use a stick blender in a jug and then add a little water to get to 250ml in total.
- Add the tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir in and then switch the saute mode off and the pressure cook mode on. Set the pressure cooker to 20 minutes.
- Stir in the coriander at the end.
Stove Top Method
- Follow the steps above but using a large saucepan on the hob. Once you have added the tomatoes, bring the pan to the boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Put the lid on and simmer for about 90 minutes. Stir the coriander in at the end.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More lamb curry recipes
If you like this recipe then do check out some of my other curries:
- Lamb and spinach curry
- Lamb vindaloo
- Lamb rogan josh
- Bombay lamb curry with potatoes and green beans
- Lamb meatball curry
You might also like my collection of homemade curry recipes from scratch.
Keep in touch
Do let me know if you try this curry. I love to get feedback from readers.
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