Chicken do pyaza or dopiaza is a medium-hot North Indian chicken curry recipe with lots of onions, whole spices, and yogurt. This is an authentic recipe for do pyaza with no tomatoes or ground masala. It tastes earthy and spicy with a slight tang from the yogurt, which makes it go perfectly with some warm whole wheat naan or roti!
What is Chicken Do Pyaza/Dopiaza?
'Do pyaza' (also spelled 'dopiaza) simply means double the onions. In other words, the amount of onions used in chicken do pyaza is more than you would normally use for an Indian curry recipe. Also, a unique feature of do pyaza (chicken or mutton) is that it typically does not have any ground masala. The onions, ginger and garlic are chopped instead of blended into a paste, and the spices used are mostly whole spices or 'khara garam masala.'
Another chicken curry that has similar ingredients is this chicken bhuna masala. It also has tomatoes, which give it a slightly different taste.
What does chicken do pyaza taste like? The simple answer is that it is a combination of many flavors: salty and spicy with just a hint of sweet, thanks to all those caramelized onions. But don't worry, the sweetness is barely noticeable because the heat from the dry red chillies and the generous use of whole and powdered spices completely balances out the sweetness. And finally, the yogurt adds to the flavor profile and tones everything down so that the curry does not end up overly sharp or spicy.
More chicken recipes: chicken changezi, chicken and spinach curry, achari chicken, and chicken korma.
Ingredients
Note: exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down.
Chicken: A whole chicken, bone-in, skins removed and cut into 12-14 pieces is the way to go for this recipe. Reason? Chicken bones have a lot of flavour locked inside them and all that sautéing and cooking brings it out beautifully, so that you get a tastier dish.
Plus, Indian cooking is known for the use of skinless chicken because you are more often than not making a curry dish when you cook Indian food. Unlike baked, roasted or fried chicken, where crisped-up skins are desirable, there is no use of chicken skins in a curry.
Cooking oil: A generous quantity of oil is used (½ cup) to facilitate the bhunai (stir frying and sautéing on high heat). If you skimp on the oil, you simply won't get the same results! Any neutral oil works here.
Whole spices: An array of spices like black and green cardamom, black peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, and dry red chillies are used typically in this recipe; however, if you don't have all of them, don't stress. It's okay to leave out a couple if you don't have them.
Powdered spices: Coriander and cumin seeds lightly roasted in a frypan without oil, and then lightly ground in a mortar or pestle or a spice grinder. Dry roasting the spices brings out their oils, adding to the vibrancy of the curry.
Sliced red onions: Lots of them! The onions get caramelized slowly as you sauté the curry. They add a wonderful body and dimension to the curry and are such an important ingredient that the recipe itself is named after them.. do pyaza, remember?
Ginger and garlic: Chopped fine, these two aromatics are the heart and soul of this chicken dish. Indian recipes just can't do without this duo!
Yogurt: Plain unflavored Indian yogurt or dahi is what's needed here. No fancy-schmancy Greek yogurt or vanilla flavoured or even low fat varieties of yogurt, please. Yogurt adds body to the curry and gives it a barely perceptible tang.
How to make chicken do pyaza
PREPARATION
Tip: Bring your food processor or mini chopper into use here. There's a fair bit of slicing and dicing!
1. Chop or slice the onions finely.
2. Chop the ginger, and garlic finely as well.
3. Put the coriander and cumin seeds in a small frypan, crank up the heat, and dry roast them without oil. When they turn fragrant and change color, take the frypan off the heat. When cool, grind the seeds coarsely in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
COOKING
1. Heat the oil in a large pan or karahi/wok and add the whole spices. Allow them to sizzle.
2. Add the onions and fry on medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes or until the edges start to wilt. There is no need to caramelize them fully at this stage as they will slowly caramelize when you add the other ingredients and sauté the chicken.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more, maintaining the heat.
4. Now, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, then add ½ cup water and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and add the powdered coriander and cumin. Cook for about 5 minutes more.
6. Add whisked yogurt to the pan and incorporate it in by stirring the curry continuously for 2 minutes. Cover the pan again with a lid and allow the chicken to cook in the sauce for 10 minutes more.
7. Finally, remove the lid and sprinkle some chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves. Allow them to wilt in the hot chicken. Serve with warm naan or roti.
Top Tips
1. Chicken dopiaza is a thick curry as you can see in the pictures, so don't add a lot of water at any stage. However, don't allow it to dry out too much either; the chicken does need a little water to cook and become tender.
2. Add well-whisked, room temperature yogurt to the chicken so that the yogurt does not split when it comes in contact with the curry.
3. Indian chicken recipes are supposed to have meat that's fall-off-the-bone tender, so don't worry if it is slightly more 'done' than you are used to. The chicken pieces should hold their shape, of course, but it's okay if they are a little soft.
Check out the complete collection of chicken recipes here, if you love Indian chicken dishes.
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Do Pyaza
Equipment
- Small frypan
- Spice grinder OR mortar and pestle
- large pan
- Food processor or mini chopper optional
Ingredients
- 2.6 lb chicken cut into 12-14 pieces, bone-in, skinless
- 12.3 oz red onions sliced fine
- 1 oz ginger chopped fine
- 1 oz garlic chopped fine
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup cooking oil neutral
- 2 black cardamom
- 5 green cardamom
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 cloves
- 3 dry red chillies
- 7 oz yogurt or ½ cup
Instructions
Preparation
- Chop the onions, ginger and garlic finely in a food processor or with a sharp knife.
- Place a small frypan on medium heat and add the coriander and cumin seeds. Toss them around until they become fragrant and become darker. Once cool, grind coarsely in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Keep it aside.
Cooking
- Heat the oil in a large pan or karahi/wok and add the whole spices. Allow them to sizzle.
- Add the onions and fry on medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes or until the edges start to wilt. There is no need to caramelize them fully at this stage as they will slowly caramelize when you add the other ingredients and sauté the chicken.
- Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more, maintaining the heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes on high heat, stirring the chicken frequently. Then add ½ cup water, cover the pan with a lid, and lower the heat. Allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the powdered coriander and cumin. Cook for about 5 minutes on high heat or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add whisked yogurt to the pan and incorporate it in by stirring the curry continuously for 2 minutes. Cover the pan again with a lid and allow the chicken to cook in the sauce for 10 minutes more.
- Finally, remove the lid and sprinkle some chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves. Allow them to wilt in the hot chicken. Serve with warm naan or roti.
Notes
- Ask your butcher to cut the whole chicken in 12-14 parts and remove the skin. If this is not possible, you can go for bone-in chicken parts too like thighs or legs to cook this curry. Don't use boneless chicken, however.
- Chicken dopiaza is a thick curry, so don't add too much of water at any stage. However, don't allow it to dry out too much either; the chicken does need a little water to cook and become tender.
- Add well-whisked, room temperature yogurt to the chicken so that the yogurt does not split when it comes in contact with the curry.
- Indian chicken recipes are supposed to have meat that's fall-off-the-bone tender, so don't worry if it is slightly more 'done' than you are used to. The chicken pieces should hold their shape, of course, but it's okay if they are a little soft.
Dee says
Made this tonight on a busy week night. Very easy to make, very delicious with either rice or naan! Hands down, a must try! Finger linking good!!
Saima says
That's wonderful to hear, Dee! Thank you!!