Beef dopiaza or gosht do pyaza is an old school curry recipe, tender beef in a spicy sauce featuring lots of onions cooked in two ways!
A stalwart dish on British Indian curry house menus this dish is a perennial favourite with everyone I have served it to.
Gosht or Meat Dopiaza
A dopiaza curry is a perennial favourite in British curry houses. It is typified by a thick onion-rich sauce and just a hint of sourness!
Dopiaza translates to onions twice or two onions and it originates in Persia, but my version is very much inspired by the British Indian restaurants that I love.
It features gently cooked large onion “leaves” that offer sweetness and an onion puree which forms the base of the dopiaza sauce.
I love using beef in curries, whether that be in my beef vindaloo, oxtail curry, methi gosht with beef, minced beef curry or in the much more classic beef rendang. I even have a glorious, if a little left-field, beef sausage curry!
Given the profusion of onions in this recipe, beef is a natural choice for the meat or “gosht” element as far as I am concerned.
C’mon, who can resist a beef and onion curry? Not me!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it best to cook this on the stovetop or Instant Pot?
Pressure cooking has a long-standing history in Indian cuisine but I personally prefer cooking this beef dopiaza on the stovetop.
However, both methods result in a great curry!
What is amchoor?
Amchoor is a powder made from dried unripe green mango and has a wonderfully complex sour flavour.
I use it in dishes as diverse as my butter chicken through to my Chicken saag. Here it provides the subtle sour edge to the sauce that I think is the other hallmark of a dopiaza curry!
You could add some tamarind pulp to taste as an alternative, and if that is a step too far add a squeeze of lemon juice.
What cut of beef should I use?
If you are heading to the supermarket grab some stewing beef. If you are going to the butchers then ask for some chuck steak, neck or shin the last two of these options would be my recommendation.
What chillies should I use?
When it comes to chilli, use your sensibilities, this is meant to be a spicy curry. I combine fresh chillies and Kashmiri chilli powder, but you should use a combination that you are comfortable with.
Can I cook this in advance?
Absolutely, and just like most spiced dishes it improves with age.
It will sit in the fridge for 2-3 days if stored properly and will freeze for up to 3 months.
Place it in a pan with a lid over a low heat to reheat!
Can I make this with chicken?
You can with some amendments, but I have you covered with a chicken dopiaza recipe!
Serving Suggestions
Like my Beef Bhuna or Chicken Chettinad curry recipes this is a dry curry. This means that there is not a lot of sauce!
That for me means that this recipe definitely gets served with chapati. They are quick and simple to make and I love them!
You could serve this with naan bread, but make sure that you do serve it with an Indian flat bread.
A curry just ain’t right with something to mop up that gravy!
But if you wanted a vegetable side then potatoes are your best friend.
I would personally just add some salty fried potatoes, but if you wanted to keep the Indian vibe running then go for Bombay potatoes.
If you want something a little left-field how about this Punjabi cabbage recipe?
Equipment Used
I only name-check equipment brands if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- 30cm or 12″ shallow pan with a lid or an Instant Pot.
- Mini blender.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
Yield: 2 Servings
Beef Dopiaza Recipe with Stove Top and Instant Pot Instructions
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
This beef dopiaza curry is an ode the British Indian curries that I love, heavy with onions and heady with spices you will love this slow cooked treat!
Ingredients
- 350g (12 oz) Beef
- 400g (2⅔ Cups preferably 2 Medium-Large) Onions
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 50g (2 Thumb Sized Pieces) Ginger
- 3 Red Chilli Peppers
- 2 Tbsp Ghee
- 1 Tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 Tsp Amchoor
- ½ Tbsp Ground Coriander
- ½ Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 125g (1 Medium) Tomato
- 1 Tsp Coarse Sea Salt
- 125ml (½ Cup) Water
- 1 Tbsp Garam Masala
Instructions
- Roughly chop one of the onions and cut the second into 8 wedges.
- Peel the garlic and ginger and roughly chop the ginger.
- Remove the stems from the chilli peppers.
- Roughly chop the tomato.
- Cut the beef into 1.5 cm (½") chunks.
- Blend the roughly chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chilli peppers to form a paste.
- Add the ghee to a 30cm or 12" skillet or pan with a lid over a medium heat and add in onion wedges.
- Fry for 20 minutes until they get a nice colour then remove and set aside.
- Add onion puree and fry for 10 minutes stirring regularly.
- Throw in the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, amchoor and beef.
- Stir to coat the beef.
- Pour in the water and add the fenugreek and diced tomato then season with salt.
- Mix to combine and add a lid and cook covered on low for an hour.
- Remove the lid and add the onion wedges that we cooked earlier, cook stirring regularly until the sauce thickens. This should take around 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the garam masala, stir and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes before serving.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Follow steps 1-6 above.
- Put the IP into saute mode and when hot add half of the ghee.
- Fry the onion wedges until they begin to colour, this should take around 10-15 minutes, then remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining ghee.
- Pour in the onion and garlic puree and cook stirring regularly for 10 minutes.
- Add in the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, amchoor, salt, fenugreek and beef and stir to combine.
- Add the diced tomato and pour over the water.
- Add the lid, seal and cook under high pressure for 15 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
- Remove the lid carefully and switch on to saute mode.
- Add the onions that we cooked earlier and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off the heat and stir through the garam masala and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 830Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 1316mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 8gSugar: 17gProtein: 54g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
