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5.0 from 108 votes

Chicken Dopiaza (Do Pyaza)

Is Dopiaza your favourite go-to Friday night curry at your local BIR? Are you ready to bring the restaurant experience home? Stay tuned! This Chicken Dopiaza recipe brings the essence of this hugely popular British Indian restaurant curry straight to your kitchen, step-by-step.

Cook Time
1 hr mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 505 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon mild curry powder (or hot curry powder)
  • 120 millilitre (½ US cup) plain full-fat yoghurt
  • ½ lemon, juice of
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) skinless boneless chicken thighs, diced in large chunks or chicken breast
For the onion petals
  • 1 tablespoon oil for frying
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1½ large onions brown or red onion
For the sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oil for frying
  • 1½ large onions brown or red onion
  • Good pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon mild curry powder (or hot curry powder)
  • ½ teaspoon chilli powder (optional) or to taste. If you are using hot curry powder, do a taste test first before adding chilli powder.
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 400 grams (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 300 millilitre chicken stock made with one stock cube
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ½-1 teaspoons salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
Final touches
  • large handful of coriander, chopped
  • ½ lemon, juice of
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Marinate the chicken
    Cup of Yum
  1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, excluding the chicken and give it a thorough mix.
  2. Slice the chicken thighs into sizable chunks. Quartering each thigh usually works perfectly. depending on the size of the thighs.
  3. Add the sliced chicken to the marinade and stir to ensure every piece is thoroughly coated. Set aside to marinate.
Prep the onions
  1. Peel the three onions. Slice one and a half onions into large 'petals'. Slice the remaining one and a half onions into thin slices and set the sliced batch aside for later. See note 1.
Sauté the onion petals
  1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan, and add the mustard seeds.
  2. Immediately add the onion petals and sauté them until you achieve some charred areas and they slightly soften. Initially, avoid moving them around too much, let them develop some charring first. This process will take about 3 minutes. Remove the petals and set aside.
Make the curry sauce
  1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or large frying pan over medium heat.
  2. Add the previously sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and let the onions caramelise and soften for approximately 12 minutes, stirring frequently.If the onions start to stick, add a small splash of water. Be careful not to let them burn, aim for a golden brown colour.
  3. Add the garlic paste, ginger paste, ground coriander, ground cumin, curry powder, optional chilli powder and whole cardamom pods. Sauté with the onions for 1 minute over medium heat.
  4. Next, add the chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, sugar, salt and black pepper (to taste).
  5. Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a simmer.
  6. Once it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer gently for 18-20 minutes. Stir frequently during this time until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Be sure to stir continuously for the last 5 minutes to prevent sticking or burning.
  7. Transfer the sauce to a jug or bowl. Use a stick blender to blend the sauce until smooth, breaking up any large chunks. Alternatively, a food processor can be used for this step. Set the sauce aside.
Bringing it all together
  1. In the same unwashed saucepan, turn the heat to high and add the chicken along with all the marinade.
  2. Cook for 5 minutes until the chicken is browned and has lost most of its pinkness. This step seals the chicken.
  3. Next, turn the heat to medium and add the curry sauce to the chicken. Thoroughly combine the sauce with the chicken pieces. Place the lid on tightly and cook for 10-12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Stir halfway through and scrape the bottom of the pan to ensure it's not sticking.
  4. Add the charred onion petals from earlier, stir and heat through for 2 minutes. (If you wish, you can set aside a few petals to garnish the curry later.)
  5. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you feel it needs it.
  6. Lastly, add the chopped coriander and squeeze the remaining half lemon's juice over the curry. Stir through and serve!

Notes

  • Note 1: See how to slice an onion into petals. Simply half each onion and cut each half into three, angling the cuts so they meet in the centre. Separate the petals from each other.
  • Note 1:
  • See
  • how to slice an onion into petals.
  • Simply half each onion and cut each half into three, angling the cuts so they meet in the centre. Separate the petals from each other.

Nutrition Information

Calories 505kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 60g (120%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 0.03g Cholesterol 181mg (60%) Sodium 751mg (31%) Potassium 1241mg (35%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 11g (22%) Vitamin A 416IU (8%) Vitamin C 37mg (41%) Calcium 165mg (17%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 505

% Daily Value*

Calories 505kcal 25%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 60g 120%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 0.03g 2%
Cholesterol 181mg 60%
Sodium 751mg 31%
Potassium 1241mg 26%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 11g 22%
Vitamin A 416IU 8%
Vitamin C 37mg 41%
Calcium 165mg 17%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.