Dopiaza means two onions, and that is the whole idea: onions are cooked into the sauce, then added again in big pieces near the end. The result is a sweet, savoury curry with a medium heat and plenty of texture. It goes back to the Mughal court and is still a curry house regular.
Dopiaza at a glance
- Do means two and piyaz or pyaza means onion
- Onions go in twice: cooked down into the sauce, then added as chunks or petals at the end
- It dates back to the Mughal court, with a recipe written down in the 1500s
- The heat is medium, and the onions make it slightly sweet
- Also spelt do pyaza, do piaza and dopiyaza
What is dopiaza?
Dopiaza is a curry, usually chicken or lamb, made with a large amount of onion used in two ways. The first lot is cooked slowly until soft and golden, forming the base of the sauce. The second lot goes in later as large pieces, so they stay slightly crisp and sweet. That double layer of onion is what sets it apart from other curries.
Where does dopiaza come from?
Dopiaza is a Mughal dish. A recipe for it appears in the Ain-i-Akbari, the record of Emperor Akbar’s court written in the 1500s. There is a popular story that one of Akbar’s courtiers, Mulla Do-Piyaza, invented it by adding onions twice, but historians say there is no record of any such courtier, so it is best treated as a legend. The dish later became a standard on British curry house menus.
What does dopiaza taste like?
Sweet, savoury and gently spiced, with a medium heat. The cooked-down onions give the sauce body and sweetness, and the onion pieces added at the end bring bite. It is less creamy than a korma and less fiery than a madras.
How Aamna makes chicken do pyaza
- Caramelise the first onions. Chopped onions are fried for about 12 minutes until deep golden, with cumin seeds, cardamom, peppercorns and cloves added part way.
- Build the sauce. Chicken legs and thighs go in with dhania jeera, turmeric, chilli and blended tomatoes.
- Add yoghurt on a low heat. Thick yoghurt is stirred in once the sauce has reduced.
- The second onions. A large onion cut into petals is folded in at the end, so it stays sweet with a little bite.
Chicken Do Pyaza
Chicken curry made with onions cooked two ways, for extra sweetness and texture in a rich, spiced sauce.
The full method is in her chicken do pyaza recipe. It takes about 55 minutes.
Dopiaza vs bhuna
Both are onion-rich, medium curries with a thick sauce. A bhuna is fried down until dry and intense. A dopiaza keeps a little more sauce and has the extra onion pieces added at the end, so it tastes sweeter and has more texture. Read more in what is bhuna?
Tips for a good dopiaza
- Take your time with the first onions. Deep golden onions give the sauce its sweetness.
- Cut the second onions big. Petals or chunks hold their shape and crunch.
- Use thighs. Legs and thighs stay juicy while the sauce reduces.
- Keep the heat low for yoghurt. It can split if the pan is too hot.
Dopiaza FAQs
What does dopiaza mean?
Two onions. Do means two and piyaz means onion in Persian and Urdu.
Is dopiaza spicy?
Medium. Aamna’s version uses Kashmiri chilli, a little hot chilli powder and whole green chillies.
What is the difference between dopiaza and do pyaza?
Nothing. They are two spellings of the same dish.
What is lamb dopiaza?
The same dish made with lamb. Simmer the lamb until tender before adding the second onions.
What goes well with dopiaza?
Basmati rice, naan or paratha, with raita on the side.
