Like a good lamb dopiaza? This recipe will get you Indian restaurant results!
I love lamb dopiaza curries. Some are spicy while others are quite mild. With this recipe you can adjust the spice level to whatever you prefer. This version is mildly spiced but you could add more chilli powder to taste.
This is a dopiaza recipe from my cookbook 'The Curry Guy Bible', but with a couple of changes. Dopiaza curries are made with an onion paste which is also good stirred into many other curries.
In my book, the recipe is for chicken dopiaza and it serves four or more as part of a multi-course meal. I decided to show here that you can easily make this into a lamb dopiaza curry recipe and also cook it as a curry house portion that serves 1 - 2 people.
It wasn't rocket science! I just substituted pre-cooked lamb for the chicken and halved the recipe.
Making curry house style lamb dopiaza...
As with all curry house style curries, this lamb dopiaza takes some for preparation. That's how Indian restaurant chefs get amazing tasing curries to your table so quickly.
British Indian restaurant curries require a base curry sauce. Here is one of my 'go to' recipes. The base can be made in large or small batches and it freezes well.
Having it on hand is great when you get that last minute curry craving.
Pre-cooking your meat is also important. Lamb takes about an hour to cook to tender so having this ready before starting this recipe speeds up the final cooking process.
It also add another delicious layer of flavour. You could try my pre-cooked meat recipe or my tandoori lamb tikka recipe.
Another option would be to stew the lamb tikka in your base sauce until tender. This not only cooks the lamb but adds a delicious, slow cooked flavour to your base sauce.
I actually use some left over roast lamb from Sunday dinner in this recipe. That works well too.
Do all this ahead of time, however and you can make this lamb dopiaza curry in just ten minutes!
Ingredients
Fresh ingredients are key to getting the best flavour from this Lamb Dopiaza recipe. You’ll find the ingredients listed below, while the precise amounts are provided in the recipe card at the end of the page. For smooth cooking and the best outcome, it’s a good idea to have everything measured and prepared before you begin. All of the authentic Indian restaurant style curry recipes on my site use a base curry sauce. My 'go to' recipe is here.
See recipe card for quantities.
- pre-cooked meat
- tablespoons ghee
- cardamom pods - smashed
- cumin seeds
- garlic and ginger paste
- tomato paste
- curry powder
- garam masala
- 1 tbsp mixed powder
- coriander powder
- mild red chilli powder
- onion sauce
- curry sauce
- dried fenugreek leaves
- fried onion (make it yourself of purchase at Asian shops)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- fresh coriander - chopped
Step by step photos
Below, you’ll see step-by-step photographs to guide you through the recipe. At the bottom of the page, you’ll also find the full recipe card, which includes the complete list of ingredients and written instructions in an easy, printable format.
- Step 1:Fry the onion petals in a little oil or a dry frying pan until charred on the edges. Transfer to a plate for later.
- Step 2: Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil over medium high heat and fry the whole spices for 30 seconds.
- Step 3:Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for another 30 seconds.
- Step 4: Add the ground spices and fry for anther 30 seconds.
- Step 5: Stir in the tomato puree and bring to a simmer..
- Step 6: Now add a ladle or two of the base sauce. Bring to a simmer and then add the meat
- Step 7: Stir the meat into the sauce. Add more sauce when the curry is looking dry. The stir in the onion paste and fried onion petals.
- Step 8: Bring the sauce to a simmer. Only stir if the sauce is sticking to the pan and top it up with more base as required. Season with salt and garnish with coriander. .
- Step 9: Your restaurant style lamb dopiaza is ready!
Alternative main ingredients...
Lamb dopiaza is my favourite. The depth of flavour is incredible. You could, however substitute other main ingredients.
You know when you go out for a curry and see dopiaza on the menu? There is always a selection of main ingredients to choose from such as chicken tikka, king prawns, lamb and paneer.
This curry house style lamb dopiaza is really all about that sauce! Feel free to substitute any main ingredient in the sauce you like.
The essential dopiaza onion paste recipe...
Dopiaza or do piaza means 2 onions in Hindi. So this is a curry that is made with onions cooked in two ways.
I guess when you consider that curry house lamb dopiaza uses an onion base sauce, you could say that this curry is made with onions cooked in three ways.
For this recipe you make a really easy but delicious onion paste. To do this, fry a couple of thinly sliced onions until deep brown in colour.
Then blend them with just enough water or yoghurt to make a thick paste. It's really that easy. If you happen to add too much water or yoghurt and your paste isn't thick, just add it anyway and cook it down in the curry.
You could retain some of the fried sliced onions to garnish the lamb dopiaza before serving.
What do you serve with Lamb Dopiaza?
Other Curries: If you are serving a group, why not make a few other popular rich Indian curries such as Chicken Korma, Chicken Madras, Chicken Dhansak, Lamb Rogan Josh, Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Chilli Garlic, Chicken Patia, Lamb Bhuna
Rice Dishes: All of these side dishes will go great with dahi chicken curry - Steamed Basmati Rice, Boiled Basmati Rice, Pilau Rice, Mushroom Fried Rice
Breads: Tandoori Naans, Tandoori Roti ,Chapatis , Spiced Chapatis , Stovetop Naans (1493)
Dals: Chana Dal , Tarka Dal, Spinach Dal, Dal Makhani
Storage
Fridge: Allow your dish to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Flavours often develop even more after a night in the fridge.
Freezer: Portion and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the hob or in the oven until piping hot.
Top Tip
Use two stages of onions — slow-cooked into the base for sweetness and depth, then chunky fried or charred onions added later for that classic dopiaza bite and texture.
FAQ
“Dopiaza” means “two onions.” The dish uses onions in two ways — cooked down into the sauce for sweetness and added later in larger pieces for texture and flavour.
Yes — in fact, dopiaza often tastes even better the next day as the flavours develop. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Rice
Naan
Dahls
Have you tried this recipe?
If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.
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How To Make Lamb Dopiaza
Ingredients
- 800g - pre-cooked meat
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 6 greed cardamom pods - smashed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoons garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp mixed powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 - 2 teaspoons mild red chilli powder
- 500ml onion sauce
- 500ml curry sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 handfuls of fried onion (make it yourself of purchase at Asian shops)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander - chopped
Instructions
- Melt the ghee over medium high heat in a frying pan or wok.
- When bubbling, add the cardamom pods and cumin seeds.
- Allow to sizzle for about 40 seconds and then add the ground spices.
- Spoon in the garlic and ginger paste and the tomato paste and stir it all up to combine.
- Now add the blended onion sauce and the base curry sauce.
- Add the meat and about 100ml to 200ml of the cooking juices from the pre-cooked meat.
- Stir in the fenugreek leaves and top with two large handfuls of fried onions.
- Check for seasoning and the add the fresh coriander and salt and pepper to taste.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 943Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 217mgSodium: 810mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 8gSugar: 12gProtein: 62g
Denise Fairley says
Hi! I love your blog almost as much as I love Indian Food!
In this recipe you mentioned onion sauce & a base curry sauce. The links provided to those recipes didn't work. Can I find them some place else?
Thanks,
Denise Fairley
Queens, NY, USA
Dan Toombs says
Hi Denise
Sorry about that. The links are now working. 🙂
Thank you.
Dan
Kevin | KevinIsCooking says
Dan this is fantastic. All three of the recipes are top notch and I am definitely giving them a go this weekend! In this one alone you give a fantastic version of LAMB DOPIAZA plus the onion and curry sauce recipes. Pure heaven my friend! 🙂
cookiesfromhome says
Amazing job you have done.Thanks a lot for this delicious recipe.
Just mouth watering
Dan Toombs says
Thank you very much. 🙂
Dan
George SSF says
Looks so nice because I love the spicy curry food! Thanks for the post.
Dan Toombs says
Thank George!
Dan
fizza says
Wowwww nice colour
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Fizza. 🙂
Dan
local handyman london says
looks very nice thenkyou
Dan Toombs says
Thank you.
Dan
Steff says
wonderfull, did have to add a bit more tomato paste, but used can tomatoes in base sauce
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear Steff. Thank you.
Dan
Jessica says
When it comes to authentic ingredients, I really prefer not to substitute, but we only get to shop at an Indian market about twice a year. Forgot to get fenugreek leaves. Is there a substitute you recommend, or are Kasoori methi one of those things that really don’t substitute well? Thank you.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Jessica
You could stir in fenugreek powder to taste but remember it is a lot stronger than the leave. Just a pinch at first! You could add more to taste if need.
Thanks,
Dan
Neil Biddulph says
Hi Dan did this last night I found it way to runny is that how its supposed to be with base gravy and onion sauce and the water from the mince really watery so i ended up ruducing right down in the picture it looks lovely nothing like mine did i do something wrong do you think?? Tia
Neil
Dan Toombs says
Hi
If it is too watery I would suggest cooking it a bit longer to reduce the liquid?
Thanks
Dan
Dan Toombs says
HI Neil
I would suggest cooking it longer to reduce down the liquid, that should work.
Thanks
Dan
Gordon Brown says
Hi Dan,
I'm relatively new to your website, but have recently made Patia and Dopiaza, both using beef.
These were amazing and by far the closest I have ever got to restaurant style dishes.
Looking forward to trying many more in the future.
Thank you.
Dan Toombs says
Thanks very much, great to hear.
Dan
Liz says
Hi, you mention the onion paste in the write up but onion sauce in the recipe do you use both?
Many thanks
Liz
Dan Toombs says
Sorry for the confusion, the onion paste and the onion sauce are the same thing.
Thanks
Dan
Polly says
@Dan Toombs,
Hi Dan is it ok to half all the ingredients to make enough for 1 -2 people
Dan Toombs says
Yes, that will be fine.
Thank you
Dan
Heather says
Wow, this was a slog! I made it yesterday starting from scratch so the base sauce and onion sauce were a bit time consuming in terms of preparation. I was on my feet 8 hours! However, I now have loads of sauce and I also made myself a veggie Rogan Josh Balti with the base sauce.
I made my hubby this and he loved it. It’s what he eats 95%of the time from Indian takeaways and restaurants. I cooked the lamb the night before so it was as tender as the restaurants. He said it could do with having a bit more tomato - we’re in Scotland so perhaps it’s slightly different - but otherwise he said it tastes exactly like it.
Dan Toombs says
Yes, it’s is one of my more time consuming recipes but well worth the effort I always find.
I’m glad you both enjoyed it and that you have lots of sauce left.
Thanks very much.
Dan