Chicken Dhansak and Brown Rice

Always been a big fan of Parsi folks and their delicious Parsi food! Patrani machchi, sali boti, kheema with eedu on top! Such mouthwatering dishes!

One of my favourite aunts is a proud Parsi lady and she cooks the most delicious food. I got this special Dhansak with brown rice recipe from her. I hope you guys drool as much as we did while cooking it :D

Dhanksak

You will need:

500 g Chicken

2 medium Onions

4 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste

2 heaped tsp of Dhansak masala*

For the gravy (all of the below to be pressure cooked and mixey-ed up):

2 tomatoes

3 brinjals/aubergines

200 gms of Pumpkin
4-5 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
2-3 medium spicy green chilies

A handful of coriander leaves

A handful mint leaves

Tiny bit of methi/fenugreek leaves (or 1 tsp methi seeds)

2 fists toor dal (soaked)

1/2 fist moong dal (soaked)

1/2 fist masoor dal (soaked)

1/2 fist chana dal (soaked)

1 tsp Turmeric

Red chilli powder to taste

Salt to taste

Method:

1) Add all the gravy ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles (this may vary according to your cooker, so cook as long as you would cook rice). Mash them all up together into a smooth paste.

2) Coat chicken with ginger, garlic and salt and pressure cook for 15-20mins.

3) Heat oil in a pan. Put a paste of onion, garlic, cumin, green chillies. Stir fry. Add dhansak masala.

4) Add the chicken. Cook for 5-10mins.

5) Add smoothened dal paste.

6) Stir until fragrant.

Brown Rice

You will need:

2 cups Rice

3-4 tsp Sugar/Jaggery

2-3 of 2" pieces Cinnamon

5-6 Cloves

1 tsp Cumin (jeera)

1-2 Bay leaf

Method:

1) Heat ghee. Put cloves, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf.

2) Add sugar/jaggery, caramelise.

3) Add rice. Pour in water. Cook.

* To make dhansak masala at home, you need:

5 Chillies (up to 10 depending on your preference)
2 Cinnamon sticks
3 Bay leaves
1 ½ tb Cumin seeds
2 tb Coriander seeds
1 tb Green or black cardamom seeds
2 ts Black peppercorns
½ tb Cloves
1 tb Fenugreek seeds
1 tb Black mustard seeds
½ tb Mace
½ tb Ground turmeric

Dry roast these and grind them in a mixer.