Dhansak BIR Recipe

My all time favourite BIR curry! 

Wonderful flavours in this curry with a bit of a kick to it combined with the sweetness of a little added sugar makes this a real winner in my eyes!

Dhansak has a lovely thick sauce with the addition of lentils which just begs you to dip your bread into!

Here I am going to share with you my BIR Dhansak recipe so you too can recreate this incredible curry at home!

Dhansak BIR Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tbsp Garlic and Ginger Paste
  • 1/4 Brown Onion - Chopped
  • 1 tbsp Curry Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 6 tbsp Pre-Cooked Lentils
  • 3 tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander
  • 250mL Base Gravy
  • 6 - 8 Pieces of Pre-Cooked Meat or Vegetables

Method

Heat the Vegetable Oil in your frying pan to a medium heat. Fry off the Garlic and Ginger Paste stirring frequently to avoid burning. After 1 minute add the Onion and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the Onion has softened. 

Now add in the Curry Powder, Coriander Powder, Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Sugar and Salt along with a splash of Base Gravy and fry these spices for 30 seconds of so whilst continuously stirring.

Mix in the Tomato Puree and then add 1/3 of the Base Gravy. Mix well and turn up to a high heat. Allow the mixture to sit until you see small craters appear around the edge of the sauce. Add half of the remaining Base Gravy along with the Lemon Juice, Lentils and your Meat or Vegetable. Stir in well and allow the curry to sit again until small craters appear around the edge.

Add the chopped Coriander and mix in the remaining Base Gravy. Make sure you get all the sauce off the bottom and sides of the pan. The bits that get stuck on are full of delicious flavours so you don’t want to leave them out! 

Allow the sauce to reduce to your desired consistency. Taste the sauce and add a bit more sugar if you’d like it a sweeter. Also add a little salt too if you feel it needs more seasoning. Add a small amount at a time! You can always add more but you can’t take it out!

Now serve with a sprinkling of chopped Coriander for Garnish along with a slice of Lemon if you have it!