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Beef Dopiaza Indian Curry Recipe

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.

Portrait image of an onion rich beef dopiaza curry served in an iron karahi with rice and a coriander garnish

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!

Portrait overhead image of an onion rich beef dopiaza curry served in an iron karahi with rice and a coriander garnish

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!

Portrait close up image of an onion rich beef dopiaza curry served in an iron karahi with rice and a coriander garnish

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?

Landscape image of an onion rich beef dopiaza curry served in an iron karahi with rice and a coriander garnish

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.
Square image of an onion rich beef dopiaza curry served in an iron karahi with rice and a coriander garnish
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

  1. Roughly chop one of the onions and cut the second into 8 wedges.
  2. Peel the garlic and ginger and roughly chop the ginger.
  3. Remove the stems from the chilli peppers.
  4. Roughly chop the tomato.
  5. Cut the beef into 1.5 cm (½") chunks.
  6. Blend the roughly chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chilli peppers to form a paste.
  7. Add the ghee to a 30cm or 12" skillet or pan with a lid over a medium heat and add in onion wedges.
  8. Fry for 20 minutes until they get a nice colour then remove and set aside.
  9. Add onion puree and fry for 10 minutes stirring regularly.
  10. Throw in the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, amchoor and beef.
  11. Stir to coat the beef.
  12. Pour in the water and add the fenugreek and diced tomato then season with salt.
  13. Mix to combine and add a lid and cook covered on low for an hour.
  14. 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.
  15. Remove from the heat and add the garam masala, stir and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes before serving.

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Follow steps 1-6 above.
  2. Put the IP into saute mode and when hot add half of the ghee.
  3. Fry the onion wedges until they begin to colour, this should take around 10-15 minutes, then remove and set aside.
  4. Add the remaining ghee.
  5. Pour in the onion and garlic puree and cook stirring regularly for 10 minutes.
  6. Add in the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, amchoor, salt, fenugreek and beef and stir to combine.
  7. Add the diced tomato and pour over the water.
  8. Add the lid, seal and cook under high pressure for 15 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
  9. Remove the lid carefully and switch on to saute mode.
  10. Add the onions that we cooked earlier and stir until the sauce thickens.
  11. Turn off the heat and stir through the garam masala and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving 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.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

J Burns

Monday 6th of July 2020

Hi, I have tried a couple of your other Indian recipes and they have been excellent. Can you advise on the ingredients required for 4 persons when making this Dopiaza recipe? Thanks in anticipation.

Brian Jones

Tuesday 7th of July 2020

Hi... I would double everything except the water, maybe add 175-200ml and top up if things get too dry. Enjoy Brian :)

Coco in the Kitchen

Monday 30th of April 2018

I can't stop staring at the photo! Looks delicious! I must try your curry some time this week.

Brian Jones

Tuesday 1st of May 2018

Thanks Colette, I hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Helen

Thursday 1st of March 2018

Hi Brian. I used this base recipe for beef and okra, just because I had okra in the fridge, and I love the flavors together in a curry. Wow! It was fab! I never used brown sugar before in my curries, but I have to say it worked so well with the melange of spices. I also cooked it in the instant pot and it’s a hit with the fam tonight. Thanks again!

Brian Jones

Thursday 1st of March 2018

I would say that sounds nice but I must confess to having a major dislike of okra, like all of my food dislikes it is a texture rather than a flavour thing ;) So glad that you are taking recipes and making them your own, it really is how they should be used! A bit of sweetness works really well in some curries and it really helps here with all of the onions, really happy you enjoyed it :D

Helen

Thursday 1st of March 2018

I forgot to rate your recipe....5 stars!

Clair

Wednesday 29th of March 2017

Hi, great recipe. How long would u cook for in a slow cooker or multi cooker? Don't have an instant pot? thank you in advance x

Brian Jones

Wednesday 29th of March 2017

Hey Clair... Slow cookers vary a lot in their timing but if you are using shin of beef it is pretty much bomb proof so nice and low for 8 to 12 hours and the beef should remain moist, but you will need to check the liquid content and maybe reduce after cooking a little to get a sauce that is not to liquid. Have fun :)

Tara

Friday 27th of January 2017

Such a great use of the instant pot! Love the addition of all those spices and the photo with the steam looks perfect!

Brian Jones

Monday 30th of January 2017

Thanks Tara.

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