The term "Dopiaza" translates to "twice onions." In this recipe for chicken dopiaza, we will mix one onion with garlic and ginger as a base, and incorporate chunky fried onions later on. The addition of whole spices complements this blend, resulting in a highly aromatic dish.
Serves 2 - 4
Preparation time 15 minutes, Cooking time 40 minutes , Overall time 55 minutes.
Recipe Difficulty level - Beginner-Friendly
Special equipment - blender
Heat level - Medium - Hot
A little Curry History:
This dish originated in Khorasan (present-day Iran and Afghanistan). It was introduced to South Asia by the Mughals (1526-1857) and has spread to countries with a South Asian diaspora. Regional variants have evolved in locales such as Hyderabad, India and several regions of Pakistan.
According to an alternative Mughal legend, the dish was created when Mullah Do-Piyaza—a courtier of Mughal Emperor Akbar— accidentally added a large quantity of onions to a dish. This legend is considered to be fictitious, as no Mughal-era records mention any courtier by this name, and humorous anecdotes about his life and jokes were published only in the late 19th century. - courtesy of Wikipedia.
The first time I tried cooking Chicken Dopiaza, I thought it was a lot of "faffing around" with the blender but I have to say the results were pretty good - in fact it was brilliant!
Chicken Dopiaza is a relatively easy curry to make, however you will need a blender of some sort for blending the onions, ginger and garlic. Now to make the blending easier, I usually add some water to the mix, not too much though, just enough to facilitate a good blending action. If you have accidentally added too much water you could use a strainer. During the stage of frying the 'blended mix', you will need to be patient, because we are trying to firstly remove the water, and then cook, and hopefully caramelize the onions. Cooking the onions thoroughly will take away the raw taste of the onions, and add some sweetness. If the mix is looking a bit dry, add a little water. The rest is quite straightforward.
Chicken Dopiaza Recipe
Ingredients:
2 - 4 chicken breasts, one per person
4 tablespoons of ghee or coconut oil
2 large onions chunky chopped ( but separated, one to fry & one to blend )
1, 400g tin of whole or chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon of Celtic or Himalayan salt
Ground spices:
1 inch piece of ginger ( peeled and grated)
3 to 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of turmeric
½ - 1 teaspoon of chilli powder more if you like it hot
Whole spices:
4 cardamon pods crushed with a rolling pin
4 whole cloves
2 sticks of cinnamon broken in two
2 bay leaves
To finish the dish:
1 teaspoon of Garam Masala
Chopped Coriander leaves
How to make Chicken Dopiaza
Click here for Kitchen Timer
Cut the chicken breast into large pieces and keep aside.
Meanwhile prepare all of the other ingredients: mix the spices together and slice the onions, and so on.
In a blender, place one of the chopped onions along with the ginger and garlic, blend this to a smooth puree with a little water.
In a hot pan heat the oil or ghee, and add the blended onion mix, cook this on a medium heat until the smell of raw onions has passed.
Add the ground spices with a little water (if needed) and gently fry on a medium heat for a few minutes, until the spices go a darker colour, and the oil separates from the spices.
Now raise the heat a little and add the chicken, fry until the chicken changes colour and seals.
Add the whole spices and continue to fry for another few minutes.
Add the tinned tomatoes and salt, gently break the tomatoes in the pan. lower the heat, cover and simmer for around 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked adding a little water if the pan looks too dry.
In a separate pan fry the the other chopped onion ( slice them if you wish) in a little butter until they are golden and add to the main pan and mix well.
Finally finish the dish with the Garam Masala. Add in a handful of chopped coriander leaves and serve.
Goes well with:
Please leave a comment below to share your own experience in preparing this recipe.
Cheers Steve.
Comments