 PersianShiraz-style curry with onions | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Afghanistan,Bangladesh,Iran,India andPakistan |
| Main ingredients | Meat,onions |
Dopiaza (Persian:دوپیازه,Urdu:ڈوپیاسس,Hindi:दो प्याज़ा, meaning "two onions") is acurry that contains onions as a major ingredient. It is recorded inMughlai cuisine in the 16th century, and occurs in bothIranian andSouth Asian cuisine. It has become widespread in South Asia and inBritish Indian cuisine.
Dopiaza ("two onions" in Persian), is named for its use of onions in two ways in the dish: boiled in the gravy, and raw or fried as a garnish.[1][2] The English word is borrowed partly from Urdudopiyāza and partly from Persiandupiyāza, wheredu means "two" andpiyāz means "onion".[1]
A legend tells that the fictionalMulla Do-Piyaza in theMughal emperorAkbar's court in Delhi created the dish by accident by adding the onions to the dish twice.[3]
An actual recipe for dopiaza was however given by one of Akbar's real courtiers,Abul Fazl in a 16th century text, theAin-i-Akbari. It uses a ratio of two parts onions to ten of meat. The historian of foodLizzie Collingham comments that the recipe uses substantial quantities of spices (pepper, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin), implying Hindustani influence on theMughlai dish.[4] The dish was taken up inAnglo-Indian cuisine during theBritish Raj, and then brought back to Britain, appearing on the menu ofVeeraswamy restaurant (founded in 1926),[4] and later as a standard dish inBritish Indian restaurants.[5]
In Iran, dopiazeh can be made with cubed or ground lamb or chicken, potatoes, and plenty of sliced onions. A vegetarian version,Dopiazeh aloo is a potato and onion curry; it can be served with a salad, or used as a side dish.[6]
In India, dopiaza is associated with the city ofHyderabad.[7][5] The Indian cookMadhur Jaffrey'sdo piaza flavours a shoulder of lamb with boiled onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander, and cumin, and some yoghurt. It is made spicy hot with cayenne pepper; some garam masala and fried onions are added at the end, cooked for a few minutes.[8]
In Britain, theBBC gives a recipe for aprawn dopiaza, using onions and spices much as Jaffrey does, but with the addition of honey and peas to the sauce. Butter is used for frying the onions and prawns.[9]
