One of my favourite Indian—or Persian—dishes, this one's all about the onions. It's pretty easy to cook despite the numerous spices. Don't let that deter you: with it's rich sweet-and-sour flavours, it's a complete winner.
According to the repeated rumours that pass for history on the Internet, apparently dopiaza originated in the areas on the cusp of the Persian Empire and present-day Afghanistan many centuries ago. From there, it seems, like many of my favourite dishes, it was embraced by the Mughal Empire.
The inarticulate voices of online "culinary expertise" will also tell you the name means "two onions". No, not really. If you're making this dish for six people, for example, it's gonna take more than two onions. More accurately it should be translated as "double onions", "twice as many onions" or "onions two ways", as becomes clear through the cooking method. The "experts" might have been clearer if any bone fide translator had been wheeled in. Now that I've got that chip off my shoulder we can move on...
This style of sauce is used with beef, lamb, poultry and vegetables. But, a word of advice: I find this dish works best when you rein in the number of different vegetables included. I think it works far better with one or two carefully considered veggies.
My recipe is for two adult diners. Do the maths to upscale etc.
Shopping list
for the sauce and spices base
½ tspn cumin powder
½ tspn coriander powder
½ tspn turmeric
1 tbspn curry powder
½ cup raw cashew nuts
½ tabspn (Kashmiri) chilli powder
1 tspn kasoor methi - dried fenugreek leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste; approx. ½ tspn of each
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped
4 tbspns vegetable or peanut oil
½ can peeled, cubed tomatoes or passata
The juice of one lime with "bits"
For the main dish
2 tbspns of vegetable or peanut oil
1 tspn of garam masala
Approx. 2 tabspns butter or ghee
3 cloves of garlic, finely grated
2 tbspns finely grated fresh ginger
1 large skinless chicken breast per diner, cut into large, bite-sized pieces
1 large brown or white onion per dinner
2 to 3 sweet seedless peppers or 1 red or yellow bell pepper per diner; cut into slices or fairly large pieces
2 finely chopped green chillies; add an additional finely chopped red chilli if you like. This version is "moderate" in spiciness; add more chopped hot chillies if you prefer a hotter dish
2 tbspns concentrated paste or a third of a tin of tomato purée
Cooking method
the sauce and spices base
Cook the sauce and spices base first. You can cook this days before and store in the fridge if you prefer or directly before while preparing the dish
In a blender, blend the spices and ingredients (except the oil) into a rough, liquid mixture. (Alternatively, if you're a purist, grind all of spices and cashews using a pestle and mortar and mix into to the tomatoes/passata, adding the lime and chopped coriander)
Heat the oil in a saucepan with a lid. Once the oil is hot, add all of the base mix. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously
Allow to boil vigorously for 5 mins. Then turn down the heat, cover and allow to simmer for at least another 15 to 20 mins
Ensuring that the contents have reduced to a thick-ish consistency, turn off the heat and allow to cool. If planning to use days later, decant to an airtight container once cooled and store in the fridge. It can be stored in this way safely for up to a week
for the dish
Cut your onions in two ways: dice one onion into small cubes and cut the other into long segments by first halving then slicing the onion and "breaking" it apart into "ribbon" slices
Heat the peanut oil and the butter in a pan on a high heat
When they are hot, add the long "ribbon" slices of onion and cook, stirring continuously until the edges start to brown but the onion segments are not yet fully cooked or caramelised. Using a spoon, remove them from the pot and place on a plate. Leave all of the oil, butter and juices in the pot
Add a little more butter and oil, the grated garlic and ginger. Once these start turning golden, add the diced onion, stirring continuously to prevent sticking
When the diced onion begins to soften, add the chicken pieces, stirring to ensure that it is sealed by the juice and oil. Throw in the garam masala, sliced peppers and chopped chillies, stirring to ensure even distribution
Before the ingredients reach the point of becoming so dry that they are prone to sticking, add the tomato purée diluted in a little hot water (i.e. no more than a quarter of a cup) and allow all to bubble furiously as you stir regularly. You can add a little more water if needed, but don't overdo it: the liquid in the saucepan should be just enough to prevent sticking but never completely immerse the ingredients
After allowing these ingredients to boil for about 5 mins, add the pre-prepared spicy sauce base. Bring to the boil and allow to boil vigorously for another 5 mins, adding a little more water if necessary. Again, all the ingredients should be initially ¾ covered, but never fully immersed
Cover, turn down to a low heat and allow to simmer for about 15 to 20 mins, stirring regularly. Essentially you want to give it enough time to reduce to a thickened sauce
When the dopiaza is fully cooked, lay the onion slices you cooked earlier into the sauce, near the top of the saucepan. Cover, turn off the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes
Plate and enjoy
Accompaniments
This one really is a matter of personal preference. I prefer it served with oven-heated naan bread, because I think it's the best way of really tasting the complexity in the sauce. But, it is also delicious with boiled basmati or pilau rice
I never serve this dish without raitha. Yes, I know we can get all purist, but my version basically involves finely cubed cucumber, finely chopped mint, coriander and/or flat leaf parsley mixed into a generous amount of plain yoghurt
Vegetarian — My favourite vegetarian versions involved replacing the chicken with aubergine cut into large bite-size chunks and/or whole large mushrooms. Tofu proved pretty crappy, actually
Pairings
Clearly, I'm gonna call Karel. This is one of those dishes that I have yet to find a wine that works well with its complex flavours. Thus, I tend to drink iced tonic water with a slice of lime— Indian or otherwise— with it or an IPA (yes, hipsters, an Indian Pale Ale).
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