Onions Twice: Aubergine Do Pyaza Recipe

Onions Twice: Do Pyaza

Literally meaning "onions two times" Do Piaza is a rich and fragrant dish dating back to the time of Moghul India. The great Emperor Akbar Mullah is credited with the original dish of lamb, marinated in cultured curd and fragrant spices like cardammon, clove, cinnamon and black pepper, then cooked in a gravy rich with onions and more spices, before being finished with second layer of caramelized onions

Modern versions often retain the yoghurt, though this is optional, and usually include tomatoes, for their sweetness, tang, and umami. If this sounds less than authentic, it's worth remembering that at this time tomatoes and chillies were unknown in Indian kitchens, having just been introduced to Southern India by Portuguese merchants. Curiously chillies, so synonymous with Indian food today, did not grace North Indian fare until well into the 18th Century

It's All In The Onions

Onions feature prominently in Indian cuisine. They are a major component not just of of the restaurant curry gravy I described in a recent post, but of most Indian curries. However, in order to transform a few onions onions into a great curry you'll need to subject them to a very particular process

When onions hit warm oil they initially start to shed their water content. But the real magic comes later, as dehydration gives way to two essential and simultaneous chemical transformations

1. caramelization of the natural sugars
2. the Maillard reaction:

In addition to sugars, onions contain amino acids. These constituent elements of protein react with the sugars in the so called Maillard reaction to produce that familiar deep sweet, savoury depth of taste. This is umami or deliciousness, the fifth primary taste, which signals to the body the presence of protein

A third property of onions I feel is often overlooked: onions are also great absorbers of odours from their immediate surroundings. That's why it's not recommended to leave a cut onion unwrapped in the fridge, at least not if you want to eat it later. But, on the plus side, all those aromatic compounds leaching from the spices into the oil are headed straight for the onions

With this combo of sweet and savoury, coupled with their ability to imbibe flavour from their environment, is it any wonder the humble onion is hailed as the very essence of curry?

While on the subject, did you know that tomatoes are also packed with umami? This wasn't much appreciated in the early days of Do Pyaza, but knowing what we do now, surely it would be negligent of us not to include tomatoes in this Mughal masterpiece?

So, knowing what we now know about onions - and tomatoes - aprons on, and let's get cooking