Topic: Dhansak Variations

[BombayDuck]

Besides Madras, Dhansak is a dish I've been on the trail for replicating for sometime now and find alot of variations in recipes.

As stated in some of the recipes here, Amchur (mango powder) and Mango chutney seem to be used alot which seems to be a norm, the use of red-lentils also seems to be widely used. I have always used a mix of red-lentils and either yellow split peas or chana dall...I've never really understood the difference between the yellow split peas and chana dall though, the chana dall has always been a bit more expensive. When I asked the girl at my local Asian supermarket she said the difference was chana dall is used more is soups/broths?? They both seem to work just as good to me anyway.
When cooking the Tarka dall I normally use ghee but find a normal salted butter works just as well also, I also find that after adding the tarka (garlic fried golden in the butter) adding a little smoked paprika adds even a little more smokiness to the dish. Not sure if anyone else has tried this or maybe it might be wiser adding it later when cooking up the sauce. I find the ratio of yellow split/chana to red lentils about 70/30% 70% yellow split peas.
Anyway other variations include the use of white sugar or brown for the sweetness and also whether to add cream to the dish, one BIR I visited once told me they include carnation milk into their Dhansak, and it was very tasty.

I also prefer King Prawn when doing mine, I notice most the recipes are chicken which is great but the King Prawn Dhansak I grew up on is one hell of a dish.

What other variations are tried and tested by members?

[Peripatetic Phil]

I don't have a tried-and-tested recipe, BD, but George may; it is one of his favourite dishes.  But as regards the main ingredient, for me it has to be lamb, served with lime pickle and onion salad.  The last addition of the last two can lift even a mediocre dhansak to seemingly impossible heights.

** Phil.

[BombayDuck]

Thanks for your reply....That envokes another question as to which meat to use for Lamb curries? I'm under the impression that most BIR houses use mutton, now I've bought meat as mutton from different sources including my local butcher (when he has it in stock) and also a local pakistani run halal butcher who supply a wide asian audience and the flavour really varies. I don't know other people's experience with which meat to use but I love experimenting with the ingredients and often wonder how the curing process or age of the lamb effects the flavour and also if it should be prepped in the same way as chicken. I.E boiled down with water and a quantity of base gravy/oil and select spices.
Maybe I should have started a different thread about these issues in the relevant places lol.

[noble ox]

BD
A couple of tsps. of marmalade with out the peel takes a Dansak to a new level rather than mango or pineapple sweet with a mysterious flavour



Lamb when older in the uk is mutton
Mutton is goat in India
 You need to ask the butcher what your getting either are ok
Lamb neck fillet is is a good choice My favourite ;D

[BombayDuck]

Mmm marmalade is a nice idea, which flavour? Im guessing the Lemon over orange..the orange would probably take it too far from its designation right?
Regarding the mutton, I am familiar with what is it just not familiar with what the restaurants buy in, I guess its the uk Mutton sourced from local butchers, Uk Mutton does vary in richness from place to place though.
Goat is very specialist in my part of the country, I would have to pre order it, I would imagine that the case unless you live somewhere with a strong carib community...and then its probably on the bone.
I was familiar with Mutton in india being Goat as Rick Stein cooks a superb mutton Rogan with mace, a curry I replicated from his program and book. It was devine!

[noble ox]

Orange but not the very bitter types just experimenting is my learning method

[George]

What other variations are tried and tested by members?

As Phil has said, dhansak is an area of special interest for me.

A few months' ago, I thought I'd truly 'cracked it' in terms of the sauce flavour I've been trying to replicate. I managed to repeat it a few times which pleased me even more.

Now, I'm having difficulty again. I can't get the consistency. One could say that's absolutely the same as at my favourite BIRs because, sometimes, their dhansaks are not as good as at other times.

Some people here have demanded to know where my recipes are, but what's the point in publishing recipes which aren't thoroughly tried and tested? I'm trying to confirm the factors which lead to the variation in flavour from mediocre to superb.

Here are some pointers which I can provide, for what it's worth:
- I've only ever used red lentils, I can't see how using other lentils, will change the flavour of the sauce much. but I could be proved wrong,
- I've only ever used chicken, because that's all I've had in a BIR. I can fully accept that lamb and king prawn would taste brilliant, as long as the underlying sauce is good.
- sure, you can use alternative souring agents, like lemon or tamarind. They lead to different flavours, and it depends what you're looking for.
- sugar type can be varied, too, of course, eg. brown or white.

Good luck. Do let us know how you get on.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Would this post have been better if I'd incorporated bad language, e.g. to use an expression like " (moderated) tasty", rather than my simple use of the word 'superb'? I don't think so.

No.  But it would have been better if you had stuck to the theme of "dhansak" and not used the thread as a vehicle in which to discuss the use of bad language. 

Now can we please get back to dhansak ?

** Phil.

[martinvic]

As discussed before, it's a regional thing, here we always have had pineapple in it too.

So I couldn't imagine any Dhansak without the pineapple, and I'm sure the opposite applies too.

[loveitspicy]

Orange Marma's by thats a while since i did that
will give it a go this week

but for me i was taught - Pineapple and i have used chunky pineapple jam before

best, Rich