Dry-Frying Masala

Bhunna is the most critical and most poorly executed step in Pakistani home cooking. Masala (onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and spices) must be fried on high heat with constant stirring until it no longer sticks to the pan and pools of clear oil appear around the edges — only then are the aromatics fully cooked and the spices' raw flavor gone. Skipping or rushing bhunna produces a flat, raw-tasting curry no matter how good the other ingredients are. Pakistani restaurant cooks judge each other by the quality of their bhunna.