Dhansak

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Dhansak
Dhansak.JPG
Type Rice and Curry
Place of origin India
Region or state Gujarat
Associated cuisine Parsi, Indian
Main ingredients Lentils, vegetables, spices, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, mutton, either gourd or pumpkin

Dhansak is a popular Indian dish, originating among the Parsi community of Gujarat. It is made by cooking chicken or mutton with a mixture of lentils and vegetables. This is served with caramelised rice and fried onions. The dish was adopted during the British Raj into Anglo-Indian cuisine. A version of the dish has become a standard type of curry in the United Kingdom.

Contents

Origins

Migrants from Persia settled in Bombay, developing their own Parsi cuisine. Dhansak was adopted into Anglo-Indian cuisine in the 19th century. It was adapted again to local taste in Indian restaurants in Britain. Origin of Dhansak.svg
Migrants from Persia settled in Bombay, developing their own Parsi cuisine. Dhansak was adopted into Anglo-Indian cuisine in the 19th century. It was adapted again to local taste in Indian restaurants in Britain.

Gujarat's Parsis

Dhansak originated among Gujarat's Parsi community, [1] Zoroastrians who had moved from Persia after the Arab invasion in medieval times. [2]

Dhānśāk is the Gujarati name for a dish of either meat or vegetables in a sweet and sour lentil sauce. The name derives from the Sanskrit dhānya, 'grain', and śāka, 'vegetables' (cf. saag , green vegetables, spinach). [3]

Parsi cuisine often, as here, extends a more expensive ingredient (meat) by combining it with vegetables or lentils. [4] In Parsi homes, dhansak is traditionally made on Sundays, [5] as it is time-consuming to make. [6]

Anglo-Indian to British

During the British Raj in India, merchants of the East India Company met Bombay's Parsis. [2] When the British rebuilt Bombay after an epidemic of the plague in 1896, many Parsi cafes were opened. These sold Parsi dishes, including dhansak, alongside English biscuits and cakes. [7] British merchants employed many Parsis as butlers, and dhansak became a popular Anglo-Indian dish. Returnees eventually brought the recipe home to Britain, where it became a familiar curry in the country's many Indian restaurants. [2] The name "dhansak" was redefined to mean "a slightly sweet lentil curry". [8]

Dish

Dhansak is made by cooking cubes of chicken or mutton with a mixture of lentils and vegetables. Traditionally, four types of pulses were used together. [2] The vegetables used can include aubergines, bell peppers, potatoes, squashes, and spinach. [9] The curry is cooked until the pulses break up and make the sauce thick. [2] [3] It is heavily spiced with mild spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and nutmeg. [3] Stronger flavourings such as garlic, ginger, fenugreek, mustard seed, and chili can be added. [9] The sauce is flavoured with tamarind [2] or lime juice [9] to make it sour, and jaggery sugar to make it sweet, creating a Gujarati-style sweet and sour sauce. [2] The dish is traditionally served with caramelised rice and fried onions. [2]

International recipe variants for dhansak sometimes call for pineapple chunks to provide a sweet flavour. [10] [11] Vegetarian versions can use spinach and butternut squash in place of meat. [11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Luhrmann, Tanya M. (1996). The Good Parsi: The Fate of a Colonial Elite in a Postcolonial Society. Harvard University Press. pp. 37–. ISBN   978-0-674-35676-4 . Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Collingham 2007, p. 121.
  3. 1 2 3 "dhansak". Oxford English Dictionary . Retrieved 16 November 2025. (and cf. the OED entry on saag).
  4. ↑ Achaya, K. T. (1997). Indian Food: A Historical Companion. Oxford University Press. p. 140. ISBN   978-0-19-564416-6.
  5. ↑ Mehta, Jeroo (1973). 101 Parsi Recipes. Popular Prakashan. pp. 73–. ISBN   978-81-7991-367-3 . Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  6. ↑ Srinivasan, Pankaja (25 May 2017). "The big deal about Dhansak". The Hindu . Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Collingham 2007, p. 206.
  8. ↑ Collingham 2007, p. 225.
  9. 1 2 3 Collingham 2007, pp. 126–127.
  10. ↑ Fodor's England 2010: with the Best of Wales. Random House. 3 November 2009. pp. 495–. ISBN   978-1-4000-0861-2 . Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  11. 1 2 "Spinach, Red Lentil and Roasted Squash Dhansak". Vegetarian Society . Retrieved 16 November 2025. Authentic dhansak doesn't include pineapple, but you could add some if you like.

Sources

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