Chicken Dhansak

Chicken Dhansak -

This delicious and popular Parsi dish can be made with chicken or lamb. In this recipe you will find the Indian version of the dish. You can even omit the meat altogether and go vegetarian. Dhansak is traditionally served with Brown Rice and Kachumbar salad. While it seems like a lot of ingredients at first glance, most of them are for the Dhansak masala powder. To make and store some for later just double or triple the quantities from the recipe below, prepare and store in an airtight container.
Another tip - Dhansak tastes even better the next day!

Ingredients:

1 cup mixed lentils - toor, masoor, urad and moong (1/4 cup each)
500 gms chicken pieces of your choice - boneless or with bone
10 black peppercorns
8 cloves
1"piece cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1" piece of mace
2 large bay leaves
1 star anise
3 dry red chillies
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 large bunch each of fresh coriander leaves and fenugreek leaves (approximately 150 gms/ 0.33 lbs each)
1/2 bunch mint leaves (approximately 75 gms/ 0.17 lbs)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
1 litre chicken stock
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Wash the lentils well. Put them in a deep pan, add the chicken stock, salt to taste and a cup of water. Boil till the lentils are soft. Add more water if required.
While the lentils are boiling. Heat a griddle or heavy-bottomed flat pan on a medium flame and dry roast all the spices (except the turmeric and nutmeg) till they begin to release their aroma. Remove from the fire, cool and then grind to a fine powder in a dry coffee or spice grinder. Mix in the turmeric and nutmeg and blend well. Keep aside.
When the lentils are cooked soft, whisk them to get a smooth soup-like consistency. Keep aside.
Heat the cooking oil in a pan on a medium flame and when hot, add the fresh coriander, fenugreek and mint leaves to it. Fry till soft. Remove from the fire and cool. Grind into a smooth paste in a food processor.
Heat a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame and add the lentils, ginger, garlic and tamarind pastes and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. The consistency should always be like a medium-thick soup. Add a cup of water, the spice powder and coriander-fenugreek-mint paste you made earlier, salt if required and the chicken pieces. Mix well.
Simmer and cook till chicken is done. Add more water to maintain consistency.

Serve Dhansak hot with Brown Rice and Kachumbar salad or with steamed rice or roti/chapati/Naan/paratha.