Tofu Dopiaza Indian Curry Recipes

Make it mild or spicy and serve with roti, paratha or naan. Rice is also a great partner for this high-protein vegan curry.

What does Dopiaza curry taste like?

Dopiaza is a deeply aromatic dish, with a mellow onion sweetness, tomato tang and a fresh sweep of ginger. Serve it dry style like this version, or add a splash of water to give the curry a sauce, the choice is yours. I like it dry, and almost stir-fried.

What is in Dopiaza?

Dopiaza is named for its’ use of double onions. Double onions typically refers to the double addition of onions at different stages of the cooking process. The first for flavour in the masala paste. The second addition as a vegetable for texture and crunch. The technique and terminology has Persian roots but shoots influences many other South Indian cuisines. It is a Mughal style of cooking, rich with spices and aromas.

What is Pyaza or Piaza?

“Do” means two and “Pyaza” or “Piaza” means onions. My recipe embraces the “do” (two) of dopiaza twice. It features two different varieties of onion, which I add at two stages of the cooking process.

What type of onions are in Dopiaza?

Any you like! The typical Indian restaurant version will use white and/or red onions. My recipe for Tofu Dopiaza puts both mellow leeks and sweet red onions to work. This vegan curry will blow you away with its’ deeply savoury aromas and flavours.

Can I add something other than tofu to this curry?

Feel free to swap the tofu in this recipe with your choice of vegetables or protein. My preference is to add tofu but that doesn’t mean you have to. You can also make use this recipe to make:

Paneer Dopiaza (Paneer Do Pyaza)Mushroom Dopiaza (Mushroom Do Pyaza)Bhindi Dopiaza (Bhindi Do Pyaza)Aloo Dopiaza (Aloo Do Pyaza)Or any other variety of Dopiaza you want to cook! Popular non-vegetarian varieties of Dopiaza are made with chicken, lamb, mutton and prawns.

How to serve Tofu Dopiaza

My favourite way to serve this dish is simply with paratha but you can also enjoy it with naan, roti or rice.

What are the key spices in Dopiaza?

Recipes differ from cook to cook. Warm spices and a souring agent like yoghurt, dried mango or lemon give the dish its’ characteristic tang. This sour note is important as it balances the sweetness of the onions. My recipe uses a combination of tomatoes and vegan yoghurt to achieve this effect. Spices in my Dopiaza recipe: Bay leaves, dried red chillies, cassia bark, black stone flowers, cloves, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander seeds, dried fenugreek leaves and green cardamom. Some recipes also include black cardamom and peppercorns, however I don’t find they are essential ingredients in this case.

What are Black Stone Flowers? (Dagad Phool)

While it’s called “flower”, Dagad Phool (in Hindi) is actually a type of fungus/dried lichen. The black petal-like shape of the fungi grows on stones. Indeed, this is why people also call it “Pathar ke phool” which means stone flower. It has a characteristic unmistakable musky aroma. Think mellow woody perfume, but not at all like your grandad’s Old Spice. It adds background umami-ness to masalas. I find that once I start eating a dish with dagad phool in it, I can’t stop.

10 tips for restaurant-style Dopiaza

My essential ingredients homemade Tofu Dopiaza

Tofu Dopiaza Recipe | How to Make Tofu Dopiaza Curry

This is my favourite vegan curry recipe and one I cook often for the family. It’s the perfect balance of light and tasty, but also packs that restaurant-style punch. No dairy needed.