Pigeon Doopiaja
A rich Indian curry featuring pigeons cut into pieces and slow-cooked with fried onions and aromatic spices until tender in a thick, flavorful sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 whole Pigeons, cleaned and cut into quarters (Each pigeon cut into 4 pieces for 16 total pieces)
- 3 ounces Ghee (clarified butter) (About 6 tablespoons; can substitute with vegetable oil or butter)
- 12 medium Onions, thinly sliced (Divided: sliced for frying)
- 1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Ground chilies or chili powder (Adjust to taste)
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 0.25 teaspoon Ground garlic or garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cumin seed
- 1.5 teaspoons Salt
- 1 cup Water
More recipes using Pigeons
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Beef Steak and Pigeon Pie
A hearty Victorian-era savory pie combining beef steak and pigeon with oysters, onions, and lime in a rich gravy, all encased in pastry. This Anglo-Indian recipe creates a complex, flavorful pie perfect for special occasions.
Instructions
- 1Clean the pigeons and cut each one into 4 pieces (quarters), yielding 16 pieces total. Pat dry with paper towels.
- 2Melt the ghee in a large pot or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the fried onions with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
- 3In the same pot with the remaining ghee, add the ground turmeric, chili powder, ginger, garlic, coriander, and cumin. Stir constantly over medium heat until the spices are fragrant and turn a shade darker, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.
- 4Add the pigeon pieces and salt to the pot with the fried spices. Stir well to coat all pieces with the spice mixture. Fry over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until the pigeon pieces are browned on all sides, about 10-12 minutes.
- 5While the pigeon is browning, finely chop the fried onions that were set aside earlier.
- 6Add the chopped fried onions and 1 cup of water to the pot. Stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and allow to simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The pigeon should become perfectly tender and the liquid should reduce to a thick consistency, about half its original quantity.
- 7Check that the pigeon is tender and the sauce has thickened to a rich consistency. Adjust salt if needed. Serve hot with rice or flatbread.
