A signature dish of Bengali Muslim cuisine, Chicken Dopiyaza features chicken slow-cooked with lots of onions in two forms - boiled whole and sliced. The onions impart a gentle sweetness that beautifully balances the tang from yoghurt and tomatoes. Mustard oil, a staple in Bengali cooking, adds a distinctive pungency. While the ingredient list may look long, most are everyday spices you likely have on hand. With some advance prep, this hearty curry is quite straightforward to make.
Sunrise tip: Boil the small onions ahead of time and refrigerate so they're ready to add to the curry when needed. This is a handy trick to cut down on cooking time.
Time: 5 minutes
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add 30 mL mustard oil, 5 g Sunrise Lal Mirch powder, 15 g garlic paste and 15 g ginger paste. Mix well to thoroughly coat the chicken. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Time: 15 minutes
While the chicken marinates, boil the small whole onions in water until they turn soft but aren't mushy. Drain and set aside. Slice the remaining 2 onions thinly.
Time: 5 minutes
Heat the remaining 50 mL mustard oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Fry for 1-2 minutes until they turn fragrant. Don't let them burn.
Time: 10 minutes
To the tempered oil, add the tomato paste. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the oil starts to separate. Add the remaining ginger and garlic pastes. Sauté each for a minute. Tip in the sliced onions and fry until lightly golden.
Time: 5 minutes
Reduce the heat to low. To the sautéed onion-tomato base, add the Sunrise Haldi Powder, Sunrise Lal Mirch Powder, Sunrise Jeera Powder, and Sunrise Kashmiri Mirch Powder along with the sugar and salt. Mix well. Add the yoghurt and stir until everything is thoroughly combined.
Time: 15 minutes
Slide in the marinated chicken pieces. Stir them around in the masala so they're well coated. If the mixture seems dry, add a splash of water to prevent sticking. Cover and cook the chicken on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Time: 15 minutes
Pour in 200-250 mL water and give everything a good stir. Add the garam masala powder. Mix well. Bring the curry to a boil, then gently place in the boiled whole onions. Simmer the dopiyaza covered on low heat for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Time: 5 minutes
Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed. Garnish the dopiyaza with fresh coriander leaves. Serve piping hot with steamed rice.
Side Dish: Crisp Papadams, Cucumber Raita
Bread: Luchi (Bengali puffed bread), Naan