Topic: Cafe Spice Dhansak

[tempest63]

Cafe Spice Namaste Dhansak
This is the traditional dhansak recipe you can find on the greedy gourmet website, I have compared it to that in Cyrus Todiwala’s Cafe Spice Namaste cookbook, first published in 1988 from where the online recipe originated, and I believe I have corrected the text to rectify any errors and include any omissions on the website.
There is a lot of work to prepare this dish but I will be giving it a go this week whilst I have some time off work.

Ingredients

Dhal
100g toor daal
50g channa daal
50g moong daal
100g masoor daal
1 small aubergine, diced
100g pumpkin (peeled weight), diced
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill
1 colcasia leaf (arbi), if available
50g fresh fenugreek leaves, or 1 tbsp of dried leaves
6 tbsp prepared tamarind pulp or paste or 2 tbsp concentrate
100g jaggery
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander stalks
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint stalks
Salt, to taste

For the Wet Masala
5cm piece of cinnamon stick
6 cardamom
6-8 cloves
2 tsp cumin seeds
10 peppercorns
1 heaped tsp coriander seeds
8-10 large dried red chillies
3 x 2.0cm pieces fresh ginger, roughly chopped
10-12 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
30-50g fresh coriander, stalks and leaves

Dry Masala
3-4 cardamom pods
3-4 cloves
2-3 star anise
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
8-10 black peppercorns
2-3 dried red chillies
2 tsp dried fenugreek

Lamb
2-3 tbsp oil
500g boned leg of lamb, in 2cm cubes, ask your butcher to saw up the bones and give them to you.
150ml water
Chopped fresh coriander and mint to garnish
Salt

Pulao
5 tbsp vegetable oil
4 onions finely sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2.0cm piece of cinnamon stick
3-4 cardamom pods
3-4 cloves
4-5 star anise
500g basmati rice, washed and drained
About 2 tsp salt to taste

Kebab
1 onion, very finely chopped
Oil for frying
500g fresh lean minced lamb
5cm piece fresh root ginger, very finely chopped
6-8 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
2 green chillies, very finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground coriander
0.25 tsp ground turmeric
0.5 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp lemon juice
3 slices of brown or white bread, soaked in a little water, then squeezed out into a ball
Salt to taste

Kachumber
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 tsp chopped fresh coriander
10 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 small tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
1tsp white vinegar
Salt, to taste

Instructions

Dhal
Wash all the pulses and transfer to a large heavy-based saucepan.
Add water to cover by 2.0cm, then add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan regularly with a wooden spatula. When the lentils are fully cooked, puree the entire contents of the pot until smooth, then cover and set aside.

Lamb
First prepare the masalas.

Wet Masala
Heat a large heavy based frying pan or wok, add all the ingredients except the fresh coriander and roast gently for about five minutes, stirring frequently. When the chilies and spices look roasted (i.e., they have changed colour slightly but are not actually discoloured) remove and grind to a smooth paste in a blender, adding the fresh coriander and just enough water to process the mixture.

Dry Masala
Roast all the ingredients gently in a wok or skillet, stirring regularly.
When the spices have changed colour, smell gorgeous and look roasted, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Transfer to a grinder and process into a fine powder.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, add the lamb and the bones and sauté on a high heat until the meat is well coloured.

Add the wet masala  and cook until you see the oil separating along the sides of the pan. Add the 150ml of water, check salt, and cover tightly and cook on a medium heat for 40-45 minutes, stirring regularly and adding a little more water if it looks too dry.

When the lamb is cooked and you have a nice thick, rich gravy, stir the mixture into the puréed dhal. Add half of the dry masala then taste. If it is to your liking, save the rest of the masala to serve with other lamb dishes. Or add the rest of the masala, a little at a time, tasting as you go.
This is your Sak.

Pulao
Heat the oil in a large pan and add half the onions, fry until crisp and golden. Drain well on kitchen paper and set aside with the mint and coriander, they will be used to garnish the rice just before serving.
Add the spices to the casserole and cook over a fairly high heat for 2 minutes, stirring until dark and swollen.
Add the remaining onions and cook gently, stirring frequently until they are a deep brown colour.
Add the rice and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, turning the rice regularly so that all the grains are evenly heated.
Add the salt, the pour in enough hot water to cover the rice by 2.0cm. Stir for a minute, cover tightly and cook over a very a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
Check on the rice every now and again, stirring from the bottom up with a flat wooden spatula. If you need more water add it a little at a time.
The pulao should take approximately 15-20 minutes to cook. When the grains are cooked, set aside but do not uncover the pot.

Sheek Kebabs
Fry the onion in 1 tablespoon of oil until soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Mix with all the other ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly blended.
Cover the mince mixture and chill in the refrigerator.
Roll the lamb mixture into 2.5cm (1in) balls.
Deep fry the kebabs or, if preferred, place them on a greased baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes

Kachumber
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Serving the Dhansak
Reheat the rice, lamb and kebabs if necessary.
Garnish the Pulao with the fried onions, mint and coriander, then dot with the kebabs over the top.
Garnish the Sak (meat and lentils) with chopped fresh coriander and mint.
Serve Kachumber on the side.

[Onions]

First things first, I reckon that Dahl would be a meal in itself! Sounds gorgeous Tempest, thanks for this, it must've been a bit of work 

[tempest63]

I had already copied the online recipe to my iPad but there were errors on the website: the dry masala on the site is titled Masala for Final Flavouring. You get the ingredients and the instructions to make it but it isn’t used in the final recipe. Yet there are people posting to the site how good it is.
I dropped the site a line and enquired about the omission but after several months got no reply.
In the end I tracked down a second hand copy of the book and compared them; the recipe above is true to Cyrus Todiwala’s original.
I am giving this a spin over coming days and will report back on how it turns out.
Mrs T63 has previously said that whilst she likes all the many versions of Dhansak I have produced in the past, they have leaned towards a more sweet than sour dish. I am hoping this one will balance out a bit better.

After that the quest continues with the Dhansak from the relatively new Parsi cookbook.
I have already posted the Dhansak Masala for this recipe in the appropriate place.

https://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=47661.msg186497#msg186497

[Onions]

it isn’t used in the final recipe. Yet there are people posting to the site how good it is.

Bizarre!

I like lime in dhansak-in lots of things actually!-and always assumed that was where the sour came from, or taramind. Where does it come from in this do you think? Although I see there's a bit of vinegar in the kachumber

[tempest63]

it isn’t used in the final recipe. Yet there are people posting to the site how good it is.

Where does it come from in this do you think? Although I see there's a bit of vinegar in the kachumber

Six tablespoons of Tamarind pulp I would assume. It gives a sharp acidic flavour.

[Onions]

I missed the taramind in the list! D'oh. Yes that'd be it. I always like to add just a little more for luck.

[livo]

That's a good job T63.  I've never tried a dhansak so this might be a good excuse to give it a go.  The ingredient list appears quite daunting at first glance and would certainly deter lot of people immediately, but when you really examine what is there, and considering that this version is a restaurant dish, I think you'll find that it will come together fairly easily for anyone who can cook already.  It will take a bit of time and preparation, but I think you'll end up with a good result.  It looks like a fun project for a few people.

The only ingredient I was unfamiliar with was the Colocasia, but then when I looked it up, I find that it is just the Elephants Ear or Taro plant. These are everywhere and as luck would have it, we have one that has grown out of a truck load of landfill we had dropped down in our back paddock by a friend who is a landscaper.  He had obviously dug it up from a client's property and transplanted it to ours.  We have a large mint plant down there as well that he has given us. This means there is nothing on the list that I don't have easy access to.  I might just give it a go as we are in for a few days of poor outdoor weather, and I have a good supply of lamb.

Important Safety Note: Raw or under-cooked Taro (colocasia) is poisonous and can cause skin irritation when handled.  Ingesting raw or under-cooked taro (leaves, stems or tubers) can lead to severe symptoms of stinging, burning of lips tongue and throat, causing swelling and breathing difficulty, as well as severe intestinal irritation, nausea and diarrhoea.

I'll be leaving it in the paddock anyway as it turns out the plant I have is not edible.  The lobes at the top of the leaf must be joined together above the point where the stem attaches to the underside of the leaf.  The leaves of our plant stay apart all the way down to the stem.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GI-ScXs8ljI

[tempest63]

I don’t recall ever seeing Colcasia in our Indian grocers though I understand from another website that it can be substituted with Giant Swiss Chard or Spinach, so I would suggest this is more likely to be a food ingredient rather than a spice ingredient.

“Colocasia Leaves – also known as Patra in Gujarati, Pathrado in Konkani, Arbi ke patte, or Alu in Marathi. Make sure to use fresh and green leaves. Sometimes it is hard to find these leaves, especially in the US. So you can substitute it with Swiss chard or spinach leaves. Make sure to use large swiss chard or spinach leaves.”

[Robbo141]

Easily the best reply I have ever seen in this forum.

just the Elephants Ear or Taro plant.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GI-ScXs8ljI

‘Just’ referring to two things I have never heard of.  Thank you sir, that made my evening.

Robbo

[livo]

It is also known as Dasheen in some parts of the world.  The plant is quite common in ornamental gardens over here, but I've now been instructed that I have to remove it from our paddock as it is also poisonous to many animals and my wife does not want our horses eating it.  We can't eat this variety anyway, so I guess it goes.

Some interesting reading about it.  https://pubs.ciphi.ca/doi/full/10.5864/d2014-027

T63, I'd say you are correct in it being a part of the vegetable content.  A spinach, silverbeet or chard would do just fine.