Chicken Dhansak Recipe

The Parsi Community is a thriving, prosperous and peace loving community in India. They settled in India about 1300 years ago when they migrated from Iran.  Parsi cuisine is a mix of vegetarian Gujarati cuisine and non-vegetarian Iranian cuisine, with a unique blend of spices that makes the food very appetizing, nutritious and wholesome.  Dhansak is one of the main Parsi dishes famous for its unique flavor and taste.

Dhansak preparation requires lot of time and so traditionally it is cooked in Parsi homes on Sundays.  Dhansak is made up of two main ingredients: the Dhan (the lentils) and the Sak (the greens and vegetables) along with chicken or lamb.  Dhansak is rarely made as a vegetarian version or with other meats among the Parsi community.  Parsis usually prefer mutton or chicken, along with the lentils and pumpkin or gourd. The basic recipe is medium hot but you can add the whole dried chillies if you want a hot curry.  Here is a recipe for Chicken Dhansak.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
• 1 cup mixed lentils
• 500 gms chicken pieces (skinned and cut into bite sized cubes)
• half litre chicken stock
• 1″ piece cinnamon
• 6 cloves
• Half tbsp cumin seeds
• Half tbsp coriander seeds
• 7 black peppercorns
• 3 large bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• Half tsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• One tsp turmeric powder
• 2 dry red chillies
• Half tsp fenugreek seeds
• Small bunch of mint leaves
• One large bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• One large bunch of fresh fenugreek leaves
• 1 tbsp of ginger paste
• 1 tbsp of tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp of garlic paste
• Salt to taste

Method :

1. Wash the lentils and put them in a pan of cold water. Boil them with salt and turmeric for 10 minutes and while the lentils are getting cooked, take off any scum that comes on the top. Add chicken stock, salt to taste and boil till the lentils are soft approximately for further 20 minutes. Whisk the lentils to get a smooth soup-like consistency. If the pan runs dry, add a little water and set it aside.
2. As the lentils are being cooked, dry roast all the spices (except the turmeric and nutmeg) till they begin to release their aroma.  Grind to a fine powder and mix in the turmeric and nutmeg. Blend it well and keep aside. You can store this powder in air-tight containers for later use too.
3. Fry the chicken pieces over moderate heat in a large heavy frying pan.  Fry them until they are sealed and have turned white. Set aside after removing from pan.
4. Stir-fry the fresh coriander, fenugreek and mint leaves in a pan on a medium flame in a little oil. Fry till becomes soft and remove from the fire. Grind into a smooth paste after it is properly cool.
5. Heat a deep, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the whole chillies and fry until they start to swell. Add the dry spice powder, coriander-mint-fenugreek paste you made earlier and garlic-ginger-tamarind paste.  Add a cup of water, the lentils, the chicken pieces and salt if needed.  Simmer the curry until the chicken is done. It takes approximately 25- 30 minutes.
6. Take care not to burn the spices otherwise the dish will lack flavor and taste bitter. And stir it frequently to prevent from sticking.
7. Serve Chicken Dhansak hot with Brown Rice and cucumber salad.

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