Punjabi Chicken Dopiaza (ਚਿਕਨ ਦੋ ਪਿਆਜ਼)

A curryhouse classic made to real North Indian form; this Punjabi-style curry gets its namesake from a double-edged strike of onions.

Dopiaza is an Indian curryhouse classic, however its origin actually lies in Persia. The name ‘dopiaza’ means ‘two onions’, which is a reference to the traditional two-fold use of onions in this dish: first crushed into the gravy at the start, and the second added at the end, thickly sliced and fried in spiced oil until they resemble petals. The Persian ‘dopiaza’ still exists today, particularly in its hometown of Shiraz, Iran where it’s a meatless dish made with potatoes. Potatoes wouldn’t be out of place in any version dopiaza, and neither would rich meats like lamb for that matter, but today I’m going to show you how to explore true dopiaza with your favourite cut of chicken. The generous use of onion not only provides rich, lingering allium flavour, but a delectable texture that mops up excellently with bread and/or rice. Let’s go!