Hi I have tried a few different recipies for dhansak that are all very nice in own way but cant get it to taste like my favourite takeaway. This seems to have pineapple & lemon in the sauce which is not in any of the recipies that I have seen. Any thoughts or suggestions out there????

I have a tried and tested (by my family) vegetarian dhansak recipe, which I can share with you here - I have tried it with both pineapple and with brown sugar, and I would say that I prefer the one with brown sugar, so don't feel compelled to use pineapple unless you really like it! Here goes...

For the Dhansak masala

8 dry red chillies or to taste

2 flat tsp cumin seeds

5 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp black mustard seeds

2 bay leaf

6 tsp fennel seeds

4. cinnamon stick

24 black peppercorns

? tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds

2 green cardamom

1 black cardamom

8 cloves

Dry-roast all of this together.

Allow to cool before grinding to a fine powder.

---

250g red dhal

1 med potato cut into chunks

handful of green french beans, topped & tailed, and slit and cut in 2

2 carrots sliced up thick

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 tbsp spice mix as described above

1 tsp garlic crushed or garlic powder

1 tbsp coconut powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp kasthuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves

1 tsp dark brown sugar OR 1 small tin pineapple chunks in syrup

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

salt to taste

fresh chopped coriander

1 tsp ginger crushed

Pressure cook lentils along with the carrots and potatoes until fully cooked and the dhal texture is smooth . mixture must be fairly dry.

In a non-stick pan, brown the onions gently until golden brown (the browner the better)

Add the garlic

Add spice mix, coconut, turmeric, kasthuri and sugar and mix well

Add this to dhal

Sprinkle with coriander, ginger, lemon juice and salt

Taste the mixture and add more lemon, sugar or salt if necessary

Serve with rice and chappaties

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

If you would like the chicken dhansak recipe, I can supply this too.

Liza

I'm personally not too keen on the 'custard' way of doing the lentils/yellow split peas: I prefer them to be whole but soft-ish, and I like the dish to be a bit oily, perhaps because I've found both of those features in Indian restaurants.

It's not difficult to produce either of those features. Just don't pur?e the split peas, and test them to see when they've got to the degree of softness that you prefer.

On the other hand, I don't much like pineapple in anything. But if you do, just add it at a stage when it won't overcook.

I also like roasted garlic in my dhansak. That can be done early on in the cooking.

Phil

Hello Liza,

We posted at the same time.

Your recipe sounds really spicy. It'd be a good idea to put it on the site. I think I'll try it when we next have vegetarian guests.

Cheers

Phil

Hi Phil,

This recipe is a hit each time I make it. It's worth a try - even my kids adore it!

Liza

Hi Liza

I will have to try your recipe, including the one for Chicken dhansak. Your recipe looks good.

Can you please send me both recipes via the contact link? Then I can try them in a couple of weeks, hopefully. Next two week-ends I am busy in parties. I will check it out after that.

The format for the recipes here is:

Name in English

Original name

Your full name

Introduction to the recipe in brief

Key words

Ingredients

Instructions

Special notes

Thank you for sharing your recipes with everyone.

Mamta

For any one wishing to try the above recipe, I just wanted to clarify:

You don't use ALL the spice mix in the spice mix recipe - only use 2 tbsp in the recipe - the rest you can store in a glass jar and keep for upto 4 months.

I will post both this and the chicken recipe to Mamta this weekend, so she can put them up on the website.

Thanks.

Liza

Thanks for that I am going to give it a try & will let you know how I get on

Thanks Liza tried it last night I've got to say it was my best attempt yet. the only thing I'm not sure abpout is the dry roasting of spices

Sorry to be obtuse, but in the recipe, you talk about pressure cooking. And use the phrase

" 3-4 minutes/pressures,"

Could you explain please. Does this mean 2 to 4 minutes at pressure and allow to reduce naturally? Or 3-4 minutes per something? Sorry to be dense.

ATB

Isn

Hello Ian

In India, many people still count the number of hisses a pressure cooker makes while cooking. Every time pressure builds up, the weight on top lifts a little, letting steam out with a hiss, until pressure comes down again. This is counted as one whistle or one pressure. Many modern pressure cookers do not do this and we count the minutes for how long we cook food.

In India, old traditions still continue and many people still use their old pressure cookers, and time the cooking of various foods the old way. My mum has had a Prestige, high dome cooker since 1957, when my late father bought it for her and she uses it almost every day! She will still say, like many others, "just give it 2 pressures"! I hope that explains it!

Mamta

This is a great recipe, thank you.

How would you cook it in a slow cooker?

I usually get my spice mix from Rafi's spice box in York or Sudbury and now I am experimenting at home but would like to use my slow cooker whilst I am out at work.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I haven't coooked dals in my slow coker yet, it was a Christmas present this year from my daughter.

I should think it will be the same process, except that it will take hours, instead of a few minutes in a pressure cooker. I bet it will taste nicer though. Do let us know how it comes out.

I have yet to perfect the dhan sak recipe. There seem to be many recipes which have 'additions', pineapple and lemons are two of them. So, IMHO, are potatoes and tomatoes.

This must be a very old recipe, so no toms or pots, but egg plants and gourds are possible. I understand dhan means grains, and sak could be greens (saag) or a type of dish, so a 'curry with rice or wheat' originally. Now it is a mix of pulses (up to seven or even 9 are used) together with veg that will not diminish into mush, and greens, like fresh methi leaves, and with meat, usually lamb/mutton/goat. Any other meat would disintegrate in the long cooking process.

I believe this is a perfect dish for slow cooking, the pulses, greens, veg and meat, all cooking slowly over dying embers of a log fire, mmm. or in a slow cooker/crockpot.

Nowadays, it is eaten with browned rice and kebabs by the Parsi. I bvelieve the spicing includes dhania/jeera powder, not as the name suggests, just coriander and cumin, (although predominantly) but other spices as well, all ground together. Sometimes, dhansak masala and sambar podi are suggested.

Dear Lapis

I have not become an eminent food historian overnight (wish I had!) but was given Alan Davidson's excellent 'Companion to Food' at Christmas!

His take on 'Dhansak' is indeed that Dhan = Grains and Sak = Vegetables. Dhansak being the best known Parsi dish in Gujarat, a meat, vegetable and lentil curry served with brown pilaf rice. Traditionally made with a mix of dals but always including moong dal. Other ingredients would include, spinach, aubergine and pumpkin.

He also relates how when the Parsis landed in Sanjan, Gujarat during a storm three Parsi priests approached the ruler:

'When he saw these tall fair, well built men, the Rana tried to turn them away. Using typical inborn Indian politeness, he did not so directly, but showed them a bowl full to the brim with milk, to indicate there was no space in the land. The senior priest is said to have sprinkled some sugar into the milk and replied that the milk had been sweetened, but it had not oveflowed. Thus the Parsis were allowed to land."

Great story!

Winton,

I heard a similar story, but with salt (and obviously not milk!).

I like to use three dhals for dhansak, namely moong, masoor and urad, as they cook at the same rate. I also use egg plants (the ones that really do look like eggs, rather than the aubergine coloured ones) as they can be cooked for a long time without turning to mush, and butternut squash, rather than pumpkin. And fresh methi leaves, together with coriander leaf and a little mint. Not sure about the spinach, it may be in recipes because it sounds like 'sak', though this means 'greens' in general, rather than palak.

I think Davidson died in 2003, when did he write the book that you have, pls?

Dear Lapis,

Thanks for the further information, I definitely feel a Dhansak curry coming on for this weekend, using the suggestions on this forum.

Alan Davidson did indeed die in 2003, after a naval and diplomatic career before retiring to write food related books including the encyclopedic 'Companion to Food.' (Took him 20 years!) My version is 1999 (revised 2002.) It is still published by OUP (?40) or Penguin (?25) although probably cheaper through Amazon etc.

If you are interested in the world-wide history of food I can guarantee you won't regret spending a penny on this book. (I am not on commission or a relative!)

Best wishes, Winton

it's certainly been cold enough for one.

In my mind, I see a dhansak being cooked in a big black pot hanging over a dying fire in the desert. The sun has just set, and its already cold, the dhansak is exactly what is needed for the imminent 'three dog night'..........

[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Dog_Night ] enjoy, Winton.

Thanks Lapis. A new service on Mamta's Kitchen - recommended music for recipes!

Lapis - I made a Lamb Dhansak and now can understand well what you meant by it being a 'camp fire' meal!

I based the ingredients on the recipe on this site but made a slow cooked 'one pot' version, marinating the lamb overnight first in lots of garlic and ginger paste plus some garam marsala.

I used moong & masoor dals, with 'Thai' aubergines as you suggested cooking all in a slow cooker. It turned out lovely with a nice creamy nutty taste, nearly Korma-ish, although not a single nut nor drop of dairy produce was included.

Must remember this recipe when feeding allergy sufferers.

that sounds great, Winton.

By Thai, I presume you mean the egg plants, rather than the pea aubergines? Did you use methi leaves (Fenugreek). I believe this is a must, though dried leaves seem to have more sotolone (the chemical that provides the maple syrup flavour)than fresh. Marinating in garlic and ginger also seems a good idea, to help with preservation, but the garlic also provides sulphur compounds which helps in making lamb flavours.

Sometimes, taking recipes back to their origins seems to produce a better product. This, I believe, is the case here. A one pot dish, cooked slowly over low heat. And with a cover over the pot, to keep out the sand !

Thanks Lapis for your advice.

By 'Thai' Aubergine I meant the small round ones - about the size of a golf ball.

I didn't have any methi leaves but added a good dose of fenugreek seeds and agree the dish would have been slightly lacking without them.

WOW!! I have been trying to make a decent dhansak for 30 years, this is the one, it looks complicated and you do need to have the spices to achieve this but I promise you it is well worth the effort, I have a dinner party tonight, am making onion bhajees, nan bread and poppadoms, I use Mamta's website quite a lot. You may need to add more oil to the onion mix when you add the spices. good luck and thank you Mamta

Thanks for the feedback Melody and good luck with your party.

Mamta