Topic: Reliable BIR Dhansak recipe?

[Peripatetic Phil]

What were the chopped green leaves that went in at 2:25, Mick ?  Coriander ?  They were then cooked for a further 3:40, so it seemed rather early to add fresh coriander (to me).

** Phil.

[Tomdip]

If your lentils are too runny and cooked just drain the excess water off through a sieve. Also if you leave dhal in the fridge it absorbs a lot of it's liquid and becomes like thick peanut butter in consistency. 

[chewytikka]

I was inspired by CT's "just try it" attitude and improvised my own recipe last night, frying chopped garlic in oil then adding chicken, 1.5TBS mix powder, 1TSP chilli powder, 1TSP methi, 1TSP salt, then about 1.5 ladles of base sauce and about 1 ladle of dhal.  later in the cooking some chopped coriander went in with a couple of good long squirts of Jif lemon and about 1.5TBS sugar.

Don't know why I'm typing it all out like it's a recipe though as it was pretty shocking, not really close to dhansak at all.  Actually that's harsh, it wasn't shocking it was quite tasty although oversweet and tasting too much of "gravy" and not enough of lentil.  Next time I make it I'll not bother with chopped garlic at the start but will use some G&G paste instead, will use less base sauce and more dhal and will put in less sugar.  Hopefully that will get me closer.

I also think I cooked my dhal in too much water as I followed the proportions from the start of Kris Dhillon's Tarka Dhal recipe (half cup lentils to 3 cups water).  It came out very soupy unlike Chewytikka's thick block of dhal.  Mind you, I need it to be liquid to give the kind of cook time I need to get my chicken ready (as I start with raw chicken not precooked).

It wasn't a complete disaster, it's a start on which to build but I'll also check out a few other recipes for ideas.

Hi natterjak
Mick's/Fatima Restaurant Dhansak video is an accurate account of making
a BIR Dhansak. I think if anybody followed this recipe, they should get a good result. ( But you need precooked Chicken and Dhal in this recipe)
When I am experimenting with new flavours/dishes, I only make sauces, until I get it right and to my taste. Too much salt, will ruin any curry, a pinch
is all I would use normally. The thick Dhal for this, is really easy to achieve.
Just wash the lentils and check for stones, cover with water and boil until the water has absorbed, leaving a mushy paste, about 20mins.
Cheers and Keep on Currying

[natterjak]

I know i've asked this before but has anyone tried using Pease Pudding instead of split red lentils?

I think the answer might turn out to be no 

[natterjak]

Just looking at this video...

http://cbm-mick.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-post.html

... and the sugar is added at the frying stage, before the base sauce.  Maybe that's the trick?  Rather a lot of sugar too, 1.5 chef's spoonfuls!

Hi Natterjack,
When I videoed Chef Fokrul cooking his Dhansak I was staggered by the amount of sugar.
It was too much for for me but he said it was one of his most popular dishes.
There wasn't that much base added either.
Did you notice his technique of scraping down the caramelising sauce on the side of the pan?
Cheers,
Mick

Thanks Mick.  Yep, I noticed the scraping and as with a lot of BIR recipes I guess technique is just as important as ingredients if you want to get the right flavour.  In my case when I made my experimental dhansak I added sugar to the sauce and this might be why I noted a strong sugar taste even though I used much less than Chef Fokrul.  I'm speculating that adding the sugar at the frying stage will fix the taste and the caramelisation will doubtless be a part of this.

My only reservation - and I shouldn't be expressing reservations about a recipe before I try it - is that the resulting dish shown in the video is somewhat darker in colour than the pale brown dhansaks I'm used to.  Not sure if that's a good or bad thing but I'll definately try it.

At the start of the recipe it looks like 1 chef's spoon tomato puree is added, then a dab of salt, followed by the usual fairly tiny smidge of G&G paste, but what's the 4th thing added into the pan?  Just out of camera shot, looks like it could be mix powder?  He's very quick adding the base sauce (almost like he's done it before!) - looks like 1.5 ladle fulls in total?

It's a fair old chunk of lentils which get added, eh?!  And then a healthy squirt and a half of lemon juice.  I guess the strong flavours of BIR cuisine don't come from being shy with the ingredients.  ;D

To me the dhansak is king of curries, it's my no.1 choice when trying a new restaurant or takeaway and if I can get a good BIR recipe I can reproduce at home I'll be in 7th heaven

[natterjak]

I was inspired by CT's "just try it" attitude and improvised my own recipe last night, frying chopped garlic in oil then adding chicken, 1.5TBS mix powder, 1TSP chilli powder, 1TSP methi, 1TSP salt, then about 1.5 ladles of base sauce and about 1 ladle of dhal.  later in the cooking some chopped coriander went in with a couple of good long squirts of Jif lemon and about 1.5TBS sugar.

Don't know why I'm typing it all out like it's a recipe though as it was pretty shocking, not really close to dhansak at all.  Actually that's harsh, it wasn't shocking it was quite tasty although oversweet and tasting too much of "gravy" and not enough of lentil.  Next time I make it I'll not bother with chopped garlic at the start but will use some G&G paste instead, will use less base sauce and more dhal and will put in less sugar.  Hopefully that will get me closer.

I also think I cooked my dhal in too much water as I followed the proportions from the start of Kris Dhillon's Tarka Dhal recipe (half cup lentils to 3 cups water).  It came out very soupy unlike Chewytikka's thick block of dhal.  Mind you, I need it to be liquid to give the kind of cook time I need to get my chicken ready (as I start with raw chicken not precooked).

It wasn't a complete disaster, it's a start on which to build but I'll also check out a few other recipes for ideas.

Hi natterjak
Mick's/Fatima Restaurant Dhansak video is an accurate account of making
a BIR Dhansak. I think if anybody followed this recipe, they should get a good result. ( But you need precooked Chicken and Dhal in this recipe)
When I am experimenting with new flavours/dishes, I only make sauces, until I get it right and to my taste. Too much salt, will ruin any curry, a pinch
is all I would use normally. The thick Dhal for this, is really easy to achieve.
Just wash the lentils and check for stones, cover with water and boil until the water has absorbed, leaving a mushy paste, about 20mins.
Cheers and Keep on Currying

thanks CT.  Your thick dhal appears to be exactly what's used in CBM's video'd recipe.  How high above the lentils would you normally add water, is it literally just to cover then or a bit extra? 

Going back to Kris Dhillon again, she says it's important to wash the raw lentils in at least three changes of water (not sure what the reason is).  Do you agree?

[natterjak]

Mick's/Fatima Restaurant Dhansak video is an accurate account of making
a BIR Dhansak. I think if anybody followed this recipe, they should get a good result. ( But you need precooked Chicken and Dhal in this recipe)

Someone has kindly pointed me to a reliable method for precooking chicken before, but now I can't find it!  Anyone?

[Curry Barking Mad]

Just looking at this video...

http://cbm-mick.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-post.html

... and the sugar is added at the frying stage, before the base sauce.  Maybe that's the trick?  Rather a lot of sugar too, 1.5 chef's spoonfuls!

Hi Natterjack,
When I videoed Chef Fokrul cooking his Dhansak I was staggered by the amount of sugar.
It was too much for for me but he said it was one of his most popular dishes.
There wasn't that much base added either.
Did you notice his technique of scraping down the caramelising sauce on the side of the pan?
Cheers,
Mick

At the start of the recipe it looks like 1 chef's spoon tomato puree is added, then a dab of salt, followed by the usual fairly tiny smidge of G&G paste, but what's the 4th thing added into the pan?  Just out of camera shot, looks like it could be mix powder? 

Hi NJ,

In order.........
Oil
Tomato paste
Salt
Mix Powder
Chilli Powder
Sugar etc

Cheers,
Mick

[natterjak]

I just had a crack at re-creating the recipe shown in Mick's video, using CT's tip of only cooking the sauce.  As it turns out I'm glad I put no meat in it, complete disaster is the best description I can come up with!  The results of my efforts resembled over-sweet tomato ketchup    Albeit a spicy over-sweet ketchup but over-sweet ketchup none-the-same.

Think I'll give gezh's recipe a try next, it calls for a heaped teaspoon of sugar, in contrast to the 1.25 chef's spoonfuls of the Chef Fokrul version.

[Noll]

As stated in the introduce yourself section, I made Mick's dhansak as my first attempt, having just found this forum, and it was excellent.  I will definitely have this again, and again.