Dhansak (Chicken Cooked With Lentils And Vegetables)

Dhansak is the best known and liked dish in Parsee Cuisine. Parsees adopted Gujarati as their language and absorbed local influence into their cuisine. 'In Parsee Gujarati, 'Dhaan' means rice and 'Sak' means vegetables. Dhansak is a meat, vegetable and lentil curry which is eaten with caramelized brown pulao rice. Although the dish contains many ingredients, it is quite simple to prepare. The following recipe is from the book 'Great Curries of India' by Camellia Panjabi. I did not add red pumpkin and used water instead of chicken stock. Me and my husband loved the curry. I am jotting the down exact recipe given in the book.

Ingredients:(Serves 6)

Chicken - 3 lb, cut into 6 or more pieces

Toor Dal - 11/2 cups (10 oz)

Tamarind Pulp - 4 tbsp

Ginger - 2 inch piece, peeled

Garlic - 6 cloves

Onions - 2, large, chopped

Red Pumpkin - 3/4 cup, chopped

Eggplants - 2/3 cup, chopped

Potato - 1, chopped

Fresh Dill - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cilantro Leaves - 1 cup + 1 tbsp

Fresh Mint Leaves - 20

Oil - 1/4 cup

Fresh Fenugreek leaves - 1/2 bunch (or 2 tsp kasuri methi)

Parsee Sambar Masala - 3tsp

Dhansak Masala - 2 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 3 tsp

Cayenne Powder - 2 tsp

Tomatoes - 3 medium sized, chopped

Green Chillies - 3, chopped

Jaggery/Palm Sugar - 1 tbsp

Lime Juice of 1 whole lime

Salt - As per taste

For the Dhansak Powder:

If unavailable at the grocery store, use a mixture of 11/2 tsp garam masala, 1/4 teaspoon star anise powder and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder.

For the Parsee Sambar Masala:

Mix 3/4 teaspoon fenugreek powder, 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, 1 teaspoon red cayenne powder and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.

Method of Preparation:

1. Wash the toor dal and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Chop finely 4 garlic cloves and 11/2 inch of ginger piece.

2. In a large cooking pot, add the dal to cook in 3 cups water along with chopped onions, pumpkin, eggplants, potato and dill. Add the turmeric powder, whole remaining piece of ginger, remaining 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves and 8 mint leaves. Simmer until the dal is very soft. Allow to cool slightly. Liquidize with an egg beater to achieve a creamy consistency. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.

3. While the dal is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry chopped ginger, garlic, 1 cup cilantro leaves, 12 mint leaves, fenugreek, Parsee sambar masala, dhansak masala, cumin and coriander powders, cayenne powder, tomatoes and green chillies and fry for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the chicken and saute for 2 minutes. Season with 1 tsp of salt and stir well.

4. Add the chicken to the dal with 3 cups of water or chicken stock. Add the jaggery, simmer until the chicken is cooked through before adding the tamarind pulp and lime juice. Adjust the salt, then simmer for a couple of minutes.

5. Serve  the Dhansak with hot steamed rice or pulav.