Topic: Dhansak advice

[Mark J]

I have never tried to cook a Dhansak before as I had it in a restaurant and I didn't like it (I believe they used pineapple which I hate), however my mum had it last time we went to the restaurant and they used a wedge of lemon instead of pineapple and it was absolutely gorgeous so I'm going to have a crack tonight.

Any enough rambling and on to the point, for a Dhansak the restaurants obviously use precooked lentils, does anyone know how they might prepare these for a Dhansak?

[Curry King]

Dhansak is one of the ones everytime I make it I think its got the dhansak taste, to me its a weird charcole\burnt taste really earthy.  I have one from the takeaway though and its always better than my last attempt, ive not had it with pinapple though but then again its not one I have that often.

For the lentils I just wash them and boil them, I usualy cook up a big packet and freeze them in batches.

I might have to make a dhansk tonight now instead of my usual  ;D

[Mark J]

Ive wheeled out all the old favourite texts (Dhillons, Chapman etc) and they seem to make up a Tarka Dhal and then use some of that in the curry? Wonder if the restaurants do that or if they just pre cook the lentils with a bit a salt and turmeric

[Curry King]

Ive cooked it with the whole spices and just plain boiled and Ive not really noticed a difference.  As for how the restaurants do it im not sure has anyone else got any ideas?  It maybe what the missing taste is in my dhansak? 

[Mark J]

Once you've boiled it I presume you then drain the lentils and mash them?

[Curry King]

I normaly boil them untill their thickish and thats it done they shouldnt need mashing

[Mark J]

Well the Dhansak I made was out of this world, superb. It had 'that taste' and my missus said it was definitely as good as the local BIR we go to.

The things I did out of the ordinary were:

Used veg ghee and veg oil to fry everything
I used a very high heat all the way through
I used 4 huge cloves of garlic in a recipe for 2 people (I would describe this as 8 cloves of garlic if creating a recipe, I believe more and more that frying loads of garlic is crucial to that taste, when I saw the restaurant chef cooking he started of a dish for 1 with around 1 TBSP of garlic).

Ive got a real top quality gas hob with 5 rings, the central ring is huge and designed for woks. I used a shallow frying pan and while it didn't catch light I did get lots of the little fire fly flames flicking around the edge of the pan.

[ghanna]

hi, all
there are two versions.
version one ?(enough for one or two curries )
boil red ?lentils ?(about 2 table spoons ) until it is soft and most of the water is absorbed .
fry one large onion until it is dark brown in about 0.5 cup of oil,remove from heat and to the oil 5-10 cloves of garlic (minced ) and about an inch of fresh ginger (minced)and fry until it is dark brown ,stir all the time so it will not stick to the bottom of the saucepan.add the cooked chicken or meat or prawns.
off ?the fire add ?the onion back ,then add 2 teaspoon of restaurant spices and 1tablespoon tomato paste and 1 tea spoon of tamarind paste and the cooked lentil ?and ?about 1 cup of the curry gravy and ?about 2 teaspoon of fenugreek leaves and a handful of fresh coriander. leave over high heat until the fat separate on top of the curry . in some restaurant they add 2 pieces canned pineapples,others add a fresh lemon slice.

version two ?(spicier and easier than one because the Major ingredients are already cooked )
about 0.5 cup already made tarka dal.
1 cup curry gravy
cooked chicken or meat or prawns as before
spices as before
tamarind paste as before
tomato paste as before
 onion , garlic,ginger as before and same method of cooking
fenugreek leaves and fresh coriander as before
oil as before
mix all over high heat until oil separate
off the fire add the pineapples or lemon slices and serve.


if you want to make the tarka dal
fry until golden 1 onion in 0.5 cup of oil ?add 5 minced cloves of garlic and 1 inch minced fresh ginger and fry until dark brown,then add 1 table spoon tomato paste and 1 table spoon tamarind paste and 400g tin of tomato,add fresh chillies to your liking.add1 table spoon restaurant spice blend .
add about 90g red lentils + 900ml of water (i.e ?10 times the weight of lentils in water ).
add a handful of fresh coriander leaves ,bring to the boil and then simmer until the lentils is very soft and cooked .
puree in a soup blender.
make the tarka as follows :
0.25 cup of oil
5 cloves of garlic minced
1 table spoon freshly ground coriander seeds
heat the oil,then add the garlic and fry until the garlic is light brown then add the coriander and fry for less than 0.5 minute pour over the lentil immediately and mix . bring to the boil and then take off the fire and enjoy
please don't burn the garlic and coriander because they are going to taste very bitter .


the charcoal /burnt taste , which is you after ?MARK J ?is from the browned garlic and the coriander.
earthy taste is from the lentil

thanks
ghanna

salt to your tasting

[ghanna]

hi,all
this is the genuine recipe
1- tarka dal
2-boiled onion masala with vegtables and herbs
3-fried onion masala
4- cooked chicken, meat or defrosted prawns

for the tarka dal see the above recipe .

boiled onion masala? with vegtables and herbs :
0.25 cup oil
2 onions (200g )
5 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
400ml water
fresh chilli's to you taste
25 g fresh sweet red pepper
25g chopped? raw potato
25g small fresh aubergines (from the Indian stores )
1 stick celery
1 very small red raddish
1.5 inch fresh carrot


1 table spoon dry fenugreek leaves
1 table spoon finely chopped? fresh dill
1 table spoon finely chopped fresh coriander
1 table spoon finely chopped fresh mint

spices
0.5 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
2 blades of mace
4 cloves
4green cardmom pods
1 tea spoon cumin
1tea spoon coriander
1 tea spoon paprika
1 tea spoon turmeric

put every thing in a saucepan and bring to the boil,lower heat and simmer until cooked.
puree every thing including the whole spices for at least 2 minutes. you will not see or feel the whole spices texture, they will be purred.if you need to use a little more water to help the blender do its jop? please do.


fried onion masala
2 onions? chopped finely
5 cloves garlic minced
1 inch fresh ginger minced
0.5 to 0.75 cup boiling water
0.25 cup oil

heat oil,fry onion until light brown then add the garlic and ginger and fry until all become dark brown , but please be careful and don't burn. add the boiling water and remove from heat .
puree until smooth.



cooked chicken or meat or defrosted prawns.


mix 1 cup of the tarka dal with? 1 cup boiled onion masala? with half the fried onion masala and the cooked chicken or meat or prawns? , bring to boil add fresh coriander leaves and garam masala .
enjoy

thanks
ghanna


salt to your tasting