Bhuna, Jalfrezi, Dopiaza: Curry Styles Explained
Here is the thing most people never get told: bhuna, jalfrezi and dopiaza are not dishes, they are styles. Each is a way of cooking, and you choose the protein to go with it, chicken, lamb, paneer or king prawn. Once you understand the styles, the whole menu opens up. Here is a plain guide to the ones worth knowing.
The Dry, Onion-Rich Styles
Bhuna is cooked with browned onions in a medium, thick sauce. It clings to the meat rather than swimming in gravy, which makes it deeply savoury and satisfying.
Dopiaza takes its name from onions too, cooked with a generous double helping of them for sweetness and body. Rogan is medium and finished with tomato and aromatic herbs, fragrant and a little tangy. These are the styles for people who like their curry full of flavour but not fiery.
The Hot and the Fragrant
Jalfrezi is where the heat steps up: cooked with fresh chillies and spring onions in a hot, lively sauce. Sagwala folds in fresh spinach and garlic for an earthier, greener curry. Madras is fairly hot and strongly spiced, with plenty of sauce to spare.
If you want heat, this is your corner of the menu. None of it is reckless, and all of it can be dialled to your taste, but these are the styles built around spice rather than cream.
The Sweet, Sour and Mellow
Dansak is a fairly hot, sweet and sour lentil sauce, comforting and a little tangy. Pathia is hot, sweet and sour with lemon juice. At the gentle end, Korma is mild and creamy, cooked with coconut and almond.
This spread, from mellow korma to tangy dansak, is exactly why the curry house format has lasted. One kitchen, one set of styles, and a curry to suit every mood at the table.
How to Order Like You Know
Pick your style first, then your protein. Fancy something rich and dry? Order a lamb bhuna. Want heat with freshness? Chicken jalfrezi. Cooking for a mixed table? Order two or three styles and share them around with rice and naan.
That is the real beauty of it. A table can run from korma to madras and everyone eats exactly what they want, all from the same short list of styles.
Come and Eat With Us
We serve the full menu straight through from midday, late into the night: until midnight, every night.
You will find us at 63 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HT, two minutes from the West End and close to Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.
Book a table online or call us on 020 3941 9935.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bhuna curry?
Bhuna is a curry cooked with browned onions in a medium, thick sauce that clings to the meat rather than swimming in gravy. It is deeply savoury and well spiced without being especially hot.
What is the difference between madras and vindaloo?
Both are hot, but vindaloo is hotter. Madras is fairly hot and strongly spiced with plenty of sauce, while vindaloo is very hot and traditionally cooked with potato. If you want heat with a little more sauce, choose madras.
What does dopiaza mean?
Dopiaza takes its name from onions, and is cooked with a generous double helping of them. The result is a medium curry with natural sweetness and body from the onions.
Which curry style is best if I like heat?
Jalfrezi is the go-to for heat, cooked with fresh chillies and spring onions in a lively sauce. Madras and pathia also bring real spice. Every style can be adjusted to your taste.
