One of the dishes most dear to every Parsi's heart is a good well-made Mummy ka dhansak. Every home makes their own style, each as lip-smackingly good as the next.
The classic take pairs meat with lentils and maybe assorted vegetables, which is served alongside lightly-sweetened rice and crisp fried onions.
Chef Neha Deepak Shah decides to try a delightful meat-free version of this well-loved dish. Her Vegetable Dhansak celebrates the richness of pulses and seasonal produce, and gets its dhamaka from her signature spice paste.
Photograph: Chef Neha Deepak Shah for Rediff
Vegetable Dhansak
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- ¼ cup yellow mung dal, soaked for an hour
- ¼ cup chana dal, soaked for an hour
- ¼ cup arhar or toor dal, soaked for an hour
- ¼ cup masoor dal, soaked for an hour
- 1 large onion, diced + 1 large onion extra, diced, for frying with the paste
- 1 tomato, diced
- ½ cup diced doodhi or loki or bottle gourd
- ½ cup diced kadu or lal bhopla or pumpkin
- 1 small carrot, diced
- ½ cup diced brinjal
- ¼ cup fresh methi or fenugreek leaves
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- Salt, to taste, about 1½ tsp
- Water
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- Handful green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped, for ganish
- Lemon wedges, for serving
For the spice paste:
- 5-6 pods garlic
- 2-3 green chillies
- 1-inch piece ginger
- 4-5 Kashmiri dry red chillies, soaked
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 1 tsp brown dhania or coriander seeds
- 1 green elaichi or cardamom
- 2 laung or cloves
- 1-inch piece dalcheeni or cinnamon
Method
- In a pressure cooker, over medium heat, cook the soaked dals with all the chopped vegetables, salt, turmeric, kasuri methi, enough water, about 3-4 cups, for 5-6 whistles.
Take off heat and keep aside to cool and the pressure to release naturally.
- Meanwhile, grind all the paste ingredients, in a mixer, into a smooth mixture.
Keep aside
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan or kadhai, over medium heat, and add in the onions and sauté until golden.
Add in the prepared paste and fry over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to separate.
Take off heat and mix the cooked paste into the boiled dal-vegetable mixture.
- Warm up the dhanask, garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with steamed rice and lime wedges.
Editor's Note: Avoid over-mashing the dal and the vegetables for the best texture.
Recipe: Kind courtesy Stahl Kitchens.