Chicken Dhansak

Dhansak is a traditional Parsi dish with lentils. It is often served in restaurants with pineapple chunks, therefore is considered somewhat as a 'sweet & sour style Indian dish. You can add pineapple chunks if you wish, however this is not the traditional way, so I have excluded them here. This hearty dish is a delicious and lentils add a wonderful texture and wholesome bite.

Serves: 4 people
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: Moderate

Spiciness

If you like this recipe try these

Channa Peshawri (Chickpea Masala)

Slow Cooked Black Lentils (Dal Makhni)

This recipe features

Ingredients

300g red lentils (or yellow gram lentils)
1 large potato, peeled and roughly chopped
150g fresh spinach, washed thoroughly
450g chicken breast, skin removed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil (or 1 tbsp butter)
100g chopped tomatoes (tinned is fine)
2 tbsp Patak's Balti Paste (or 2tbsp Patak's Garam Masala Paste)
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
salt, to taste

Methods

Wash the red lentils in several changes of water and leave to soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the chicken for a few minutes until it is browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan heat the remaining oil and add the onion. Fry for a few minutes before adding the Patak's Balti Paste. Sprinkle in some water and stir well. Leave to cook for 2 minutes before draining the lentils and adding to the pan. Pour in enough water to cover with about 1 cm above the lentils. Allow to cook for 10 minutes before adding in the potatoes. Check there is enough water and add more if required. Stir and leave to cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the lentils are broken down.
Stir in the tomatoes and add the chicken. Bring back to the boil before stirring through the spinach.
Check the seasoning and adjust the salt if necessary.
Finally sprinkle in the fresh coriander and serve with fresh hot basmati rice