Hairy Bikers Lamb Dopiaza Recipe

This Hairy Bikers lamb dopiaza comes from their Great Curries book. It cooks yoghurt-marinated leg meat in a spiced onion sauce, finished with onion wedges, and serves five at around 560 calories a portion.

Dopiaza means “double onions”, and that is the trick. Some onions are sliced thin and cooked down to a soft, browned base. Others go in as wedges near the end, so you get two different textures in one curry.

The other thing worth doing properly is toasting the whole spices yourself. You pound cardamom, coriander and cumin seeds, toast them in a dry pan, then grind them fresh. That gives a far deeper aroma than a tub of ready-ground powder.

Hairy Bikers Lamb Dopiaza Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:British Indian Courses:Main Course

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 25 minutesCook time:1 hour 30 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 55 minutesServings:5 servingsCalories:560 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Si and Dave’s lamb dopiaza where leg meat marinates in yoghurt, then cooks in a base of slow-fried onions, fresh-toasted spices and tomato. Onion wedges stir through at the end for the double-onion finish.

Ingredients

For the Lamb:

• 750g lamb leg meat, trimmed and cut into 3cm chunks
• 150g plain natural yoghurt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Spice Mix:

• 8 cardamom pods
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds

For the Curry:

• 6 medium onions
• 4 tbsp ghee or sunflower oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 15g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped (deseed if you like)
• 1 tsp garam masala, plus a good pinch
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 300ml cold water

Instructions

1. Marinate the lamb: Put the lamb in a large bowl, season well with black pepper, then stir in the yoghurt to coat. Set aside while you prepare the spices and onions.
2. Toast the spices: Bash the cardamom pods, discard the husks and keep the seeds. Toast them in a dry pan with the coriander and cumin seeds for a minute or two until fragrant, then pound to a powder and set aside.
3. Fry the onion wedges: Halve all the onions. Slice four of them thinly and cut the other two into wedges. Heat 1 tbsp of the ghee and fry the wedges over a high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned and just tender, then lift onto a plate.
4. Build the onion base: Add the rest of the ghee and fry the sliced onions, garlic and ginger for 15 minutes until very soft. Turn up the heat for the last few minutes until tinged brown, taking care not to burn them.
5. Add the spices and lamb: Stir in the chilli, your toasted spice powder, the teaspoon of garam masala and the turmeric, then the tomato purée. Add the lamb and yoghurt and cook over a medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly coloured.
6. Simmer: Pour in the water, cover tightly and cook on a low heat for 1 hour, stirring now and then and adding a splash of water if needed. It is meant to be a fairly dry curry.
7. Finish: Take off the lid and simmer for another 15 minutes until the sauce reduces and the lamb is meltingly tender. Stir in the reserved onion wedges and the pinch of garam masala, heat through for a minute or two, then serve with rice or bread.

FAQs

Why is it called dopiaza?

Dopiaza means “double onions” in Hindi and Urdu, which points to the cooking method rather than just a big quantity of onions. The dish uses onions in two different ways within the same curry, and that is what gives it the name.

Some onions are sliced thin and slow-fried into a soft, sweet, browned base that thickens the sauce. The rest go in as wedges right at the end, so they keep a bit of bite and texture. You taste both the melted onion sauce and the tender wedges in every spoonful.

What is the best lamb for dopiaza?

Leg meat is what this recipe uses because it stays in neat chunks through the hour-long simmer while turning tender. Trim off the really hard fat, but leave a little on for flavour and succulence.

Diced shoulder works too and is slightly richer, though it can release more fat into the sauce. Since this is a fairly dry curry, shoulder is fine as long as you skim any excess fat before serving. Lean cuts are the weakest choice because they toughen over the long cook.

Why toast and grind your own spices?

Toasting whole cardamom, coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan wakes up the oils inside. That gives a deeper, warmer aroma than ready-ground powder. Grinding them fresh straight after means none of that aroma is lost.

It takes five extra minutes but makes a real difference to a dopiaza, where the spice is meant to be fragrant rather than fierce. If you are short on time you can use ready-ground spices, but fresh-toasted is what lifts this above a standard curry.

How do I stop the curry being too wet?

A dopiaza is meant to be a fairly dry curry, so the sauce clings to the lamb rather than pooling. The trick is in the final 15 minutes, when you take the lid off and let the liquid reduce down over a slightly higher heat.

If it still looks too loose, keep simmering uncovered and stir regularly so nothing catches on the base. During the covered hour you only add a splash of water if it threatens to dry out completely, never more than that.

What goes with lamb dopiaza?

Plain basmati rice or warm naan are the classic partners, and both soak up the rich onion sauce well. A cooling raita and a few poppadoms round it out into a proper curry night.

Want to turn it into a feast? The earthy, lentil-rich lamb dhansak sits beautifully against the onion-heavy dopiaza, and a lamb biryani in the middle of the table gives everyone a fragrant rice dish to dig into.