Topic: Chicken Dhansak BIR Perfect Every Time

[dazkimber]

 
I have perfected this Chicken Dhansak over about a two year period using this website and hints and tips from local BIR to Portsmouth. I found the best base sause to be

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,1061.0.html

and the following recipe for the finished curry. This will make a large pot of curry enough for two greedy people or probably enough for four if serving a side aswell. When using a reference to a ladle this is as per the curry base details ( about 4 tablespoons ). This has had nothing but rave reviews from everybody that I cooked for. Have even distritued the sauce without the chicken in jars for family

Ingredients

5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 to 3 Chciken Breasts depending on preference, chopped to preferred size
1 medium onion
4 ladles of curry base as per above link to recipe
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
juice of 1 large lemon
1 green chilli
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 heaped tablespoon mango chutney, chopped into smaller pieces
1 cup split red lentils, drained and washed
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 bunch fresh corriander

Method

1. 3/4 fill a medium size pot with water and bring to boil, add the lentils and crushed garlic. Boil lentils until soft, skim any scum from top of boiling water during cooking. When lentils are soft use a hand blender to blitz into prefered consistency ( I do not like complete mush nor whole lentils so somewhere in between ). Strain the excess water away through a seive and reserve the cooked lentils

2. While the lentils are cooking chop the onion finely. squeeze the lemon juince into a small mixing bowl and add the curry powder and chilli powder and mix.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or similar and fry the onion until golden brown ( was advised by the local BIR that the onions need to look like this for ultimate flavour ), not burnt though add the lemon,curry powder and chilli powder mixture to the wok and fry for about 30 seconds.

4. Add the chicken and fry until chicken is sealed on all edges. Add all the base sauce and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add the strained lentils, the mango chutney and the pineapple juice, cook for a further 10 minutes making sure to never let the lentils stick to the base of the wok.Add most of the chopped corriander

6. 1 miute before serving stir in the garam masala. Serve with fresh corriander as garnish.

This works everytime for me, look forward to your views on this one, you simply have to try it

[matt3333]

Hi
And welcome, first of many questions, how many does this serve, one bunch of corriander how much is that.
Have you tried it with with pre cooked chicken.
Cheers
Matt

[dazkimber]

As mentioned this serves two very well or four adequetely, served with rice.

Bunch of corriander is the amount you find the the pre packed supermarket packets. Although buying fresh from the local indian store or growing your own is better.

Never used pre cooked chicked, always fresh, so not sure on results from there.

I also forgot to mention in the cooking instructions to add the green chilli ( finely chopped ) when adding the onions to the wok. This can be omitted if too hot

[Unclebuck]

Never used pre cooked chicked, always fresh, so not sure on results from there.

Pre-cooked chicken is fresh.. i think you mean raw, pre-cooking meats in BIR is a well known practice.

Thanks for the recipe. UB.

[dazkimber]

UB

Yes i mean raw, have never cooked with pre cooked meat. I have tried the recipe without meat to make a sauce and is nice but not quite there. Only seems to work to perfection when the chicken is cooked sealed in the initial process, cannot get past the fact that the chicken would be very dry if it was already cooked

[Curry King]

Hi daz,

If you try a boiling method of precooking chicken it will come out really tender and juicy, something like this:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=158.0

You can just boil your chicken pieces in some water and turmeric but if the time permits try the fully flavored version.

[dazkimber]

CK

Will give this a go. Having done so much research into the Dhansak flavour and getting near perfection ( in my opinion ) this proces of the pre cook chicken seems to of slipped the net, will def be giving it a go on sat for my next Dhansak experience. Will feedback on Sunday

Daz

[SJPotter]

Hi,

This was a lucky find whilst I was looking for a Thai Green Curry with Prawns.

I have had Pat Chapman's first book on Restaurant Curries for years and even joined the Curry Club within its first year. I have been a home cook for many years and keep coming back to curries but always find no matter how many cook books I read and how many recipes I follow I never get that Take Away taste I look for. Well your forum enticed me to try again and I am now blown away. Thanks to Dazkimber, Pete and the suggestion on this forum to precook the chicken in salt and Turmeric I have made the best chicken Dansak I have ever made and would say that in my mind it approached what I would perceive as a good Dansak. I have  eaten a lot worse in Indian Restaurants I have to say it was almost as good as my favourite local restaurant. I now have thanks to Pete another 6 portions of the curry gravy in the freezer ready for my next attempt. Now If only I had a Tandoor and could get the Nan Breads....sigh

Thanks again for this wonderful site.

Tequilla6

[two-sheds]

sorry pressed the wrong button and posted your recipe... senior moment i'm afraid.
going to make your dhansak this Saturday looks really good, what stage do you addwhere the green chilli?

[currytester]

Made this for the last three nights as part of my quest for perfection - it was OK but not mindblowing in its original form.

Tip

When cooking the lentils dont add salt as this toughens them - after bringing to the boil simmer very gently for ten mins then test them every couple of mins until just soft but still have their shape. Drain immediately then puree and add to dhansak. This will create a better texture.

When cooking the onions add a pinch of methi.

You dont need to pre-cook the chicken with this dish because if you time it right the method will carry out the pre-cooking for you but I think 12-15 minutes from the time the chicken is added is about right. However I do feel that the pre-cooked chicken added at the end and just heated through gives a better result.

When you add the spices add a pinch of asafoetida and 3 curry leaves this will enhance the flavour.

Be careful with the amount of base you use - 4 ladles for me using CT's latest base was too much start with 3 then add pineapple juice - you can always add more base later or some water if it is too thick.

My first effort using the original recipe was too runny and the chicken ended up overcooked as I had to reduce the sauce down to get the consistency.