Topic: Chicken Tikka Dhansak - For Southerner's :)

[976bar]

This is how I remember Dhansak served down south of the border, not a scrap of pineapple in sight, but a hot, smokey, lemony, sweet & sour dish with lentils.

I have used Dylan's recipe from back in 2005 but have tweaked it to include Massur Dhal instead of just lentils. Omitting the Ketchup and adding paprika for that smokey taste.

Hope you enjoy

Ingredients
1 portion of cooked chicken tikka
300ml base gravy
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 medium onion (quartered, brushed with oil, stuck on a skewer and barbecued) or finely chop and stick in a tin on the bbq to smoke for 30 minutes
2 oz Massur Dhal
2 tsp extra hot chili powder
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp spice mix
1 tsp methi (fenugreek leaves)

[Naga]

I like the ketchup in my spiced onions, but I wasn't too sure of it's inclusion in a curry. Worth a try, certainly, but I do like the idea of the paprika to create the smokey sensation. I've still some of the Massur Dhal left, so I might just give this a whirl for tomorrow's dinner. It's Lentil City in my house this weekend lol!

[Malc.]

Is the Ketchup used in place of tomato puree in KD's recipe?


I like the idea about the smoked paprika but also the Muscovado sugar, I wonder what other sugars could be used  such as demerara etc.


Looks lovely Bob.

[CardiffCurrylad]

Hi Bob, That looks the dogs I had my first Dhansak last bank holiday whilst visiting family down South. To be precise Rye, East Sussex, and I am now a converted "Hot, Sweet & Sour freak ;D". Will knock this one up tomorrow 

[976bar]

Is the Ketchup used in place of tomato puree in KD's recipe?


I like the idea about the smoked paprika but also the Muscovado sugar, I wonder what other sugars could be used  such as demerara etc.


Looks lovely Bob.

Hi Mate,

I don't think this was KD recipe but was in the Dhansak section on the forum.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=325.0

I just adapted it a little. I thought I would use tomato paste in the main dish and just try it this time round without the ketchup, but will make it again and try another few tweaks as I still think the dish can be improved somewhat.

I guess you could try different sugars, I should have used Jaggery but had run out and I find plain white refined sugar gives it the wrong kind of sweetness for me.

[Naga]

I made this dish tonight according to spec, using Abdul Moded's base gravy and spice mix. What can I say? The smokey, lemony heat is incredibly moreish and is possibly the best dish I have made from this forum.

The Garlic Chilli Chicken comes close, but this, for me, is a brilliant and simple adaptation of the OP's recipe and is undoubtedly my favourite curry to date.

I'm now in a quandary, because almost everything I've tried has been really, really good in it's own right! I think I'll need to start using a blindfold and a pin to choose what I make next!

[976bar]

I'm glad you liked it Mr Naga

I plan to try this with different dhals including CA's which include the Ketchup, but feel that I will need to reduce the sugar levels to avoid it becoming too sweet.

[Naga]

Well, bizarrely enough, I noted your dissatisfaction with the white, granulated sugar and planned to use palm sugar instead, but before I knew it, the white sugar was in** and the palm sugar remained in the cupboard! It was still a great meal, but I WILL try palm sugar the next time.

**probably the 2 pints of 8% home brew fiery ginger beer during preparation had something to do with it lol!

[natterjak]

Interesting recipe 976bar and this difference regional difference in dhansak recipes is something which really interests me. I'm on a bit of a personal quest to recreate what I know as a dhansak, ie the dhansaks Ive been eating in the south east for the past 20 years.  So of course I was interested in your recipe and haven't yet tried it, but straightaway the colour is "wrong" (measured against my expectation of a dhansak) because it's red rather than yellow/brown. In common with every other dhansak recipe I've seen posted or videod you've included tomato pur

[Stephen Lindsay]

976 that looks great - I love the idea of the barbecued onion. Must try this.