My recent findings

[Stephen Lindsay]

Razor,

I'm like you I don't ever recall having a hot Dhansak up here and indeed the sweet and sour description shouts Pathia not Dhansak, to me anyway. Regional differences apart, the distinctive element in a Dhansak, to me, is dhal and I've seen recipes that I don't think really do justice to the importance of a good dhal within the Dhansak. For example I believe lentil soup can be used? Sorry but that's just not for me. I like an intense flavoured dhal in my Dhansak. As for pineapple I've seen them with and without and I'm happy for either.

Steve

[George]

I really hope that you crack this one George because I'd love to replicate that wonderful flavour of my first Dhansak.

Ah, there's a challenge and it's one we all face. We all talk about "the taste" and other fond memories but there's no moderation, calibration, agreement or whatever you want to call it. We could all be talking about something different!

Yes, the menu descriptions often use the term 'hot' for dhansak but, like others, I've never found it very hot at all. Another aspect of my best-ever homemade dhansak was that it was definitely brown and not yellow. So both the sauce colour and the taste resembled my favourite BIR dhansaks, whereas many/most of the dhansak images on here seem to be yellow.

[JerryM]

would definitely try pinapple juice for sweet. having used it in curry2go pathia i was real taken to it.

i have it on my mind next time to try blending the chunks and juice together to increase the hit.

ps not tried kewra water - does anyone know how it and rose water differ.

[naga dave]

Hi George -
                 A suggestion, it may produce the flavour you are after, but obviously no promises. To my mind, however, it will make the best possible BIR Dhansak. Simply make a portion of curry sauce, with a good thick gravy, [preferably not thin watery 'Modern Indian' type] to this add a good heaped cooks' spoon of un-thinned dal [combination of red lentils and channa dal / yellow split pea] cooked with plenty of cassia bark and leaves. Mix well, add meat and simmer for a minute or so before dishing up.
                                 Good luck, Dave.
Ps. Whole spices are usually removed from dal before use.

[George]

A suggestion, it may produce the flavour you are after, but obviously no promises.

Dave - thank you for your suggestions - something for me to try once I've achieved some consistency with my present method and list of ingredients. As with the korma, the second time I tried the dhansak, the taste did not seem as good. Could it be that the base sauce had gone downhill, stored in the fridge for 2 or 3 days? I don't know, but it's most disappointing, not to be able to repeat a dish to the same standard, when you think everything is being done the same way, both times.

[Razor]

Hi George,

You could well be right with your thoughts on the base gravy. I'm never as happy with my curries when I've used defrosted base sauce, as I am when I've used fresh!

Ray

[George]

You could well be right with your thoughts on the base gravy. I'm never as happy with my curries when I've used defrosted base sauce, as I am when I've used fresh!

It's my new priority in terms of BIR type cooking. I need to make these dishes as many times as it takes, in order to achieve the best-ever flavours, once more, and understand how to get 100% consistency.

McDonalds seem to know how to get consistent results not only within one restaurant, but worldwide.

In my experience, it's not the case with even a single BIR outlet. Quality varies to a lesser or greater extent. Perhaps they fall down on the same threats that I've faced. For my DIY attempts, I need to figure out what's going wrong.

[Derek Dansak]

I would recomend the DD spice mix for dansak, its genuine bengul restaruant spice mix from a chef who makes a cracking dansak.  I have made many many dansaks with this spice mix and all were good. The chef swears by red lentils cooked in butter ghee.  Lemon juice and tsp sugar or even a tablespoon works well.  This was copied from a bir demo. The sns base gravy was also very good for dansak.

[George]

I would recomend the DD spice mix for dansak, its genuine bengul restaruant spice mix from a chef who makes a cracking dansak.  I have made many many dansaks with this spice mix and all were good. The chef swears by red lentils cooked in butter ghee.  Lemon juice and tsp sugar or even a tablespoon works well.  This was copied from a bir demo. The sns base gravy was also very good for dansak.

DD - is that the spice mix you posted in 2008 when you said: "Ok here is the spice mix provided by the main chef at my fav local bir. He uses this in madras, rogan josh, boona, and well, most dishes really. The spice mix, coriander 2 parts, cumin  1 part, paprika 2 parts, curry powder 3 parts (swartz, most will do though), tumeric 4 parts. "

I will certainly try it, if you say it works especially well in dhansaks.

I cook my lentils in water. Are you saying  butter ghee is added to the water, or that 100% ghee is used to fry the lentils, instead of boil them?

[Aussie Mick]

I'm agreeing with Razor twice here. Even though I am relatively new on this site, I am now on my 7th or 8th batch of base, and I have to say, it tastes so much better in the finished curry fresh, rather than frozen.

Also, my first curry was a dhansak, in Manchester in the late 70's. It was unbelievably tasty. I used to cylce 5 miles on a Sunday night in all weathers after the pubs had closed to get a takeaway....it was worth it.

It was a very mild curry, a lot of lentils and chunks of pineapple. So, yes, there obviously are regional differences.

Mind you last time we visited UK (2009) we had a few curries in various Manchester restaurants, but by far the best curry we had was in Twickenham the night before we flew back out to OZ. Can't rememeber the restaurant name, my nephew and his wife took us there, but we ordered 6 or 7 different dishes, and it was SUPERB!!