Heresy? Maybe. But I like it. A lot. Because it’s just tasty. And it’s way easier than the original. That’s a dish meant for Sunday dinner. For special occasions. Serious business.
This is an easier version of dhansak
This is easy. Chicken dhansak for weeknights. Takes a while to get the lentils cooked. But other than it’s a snap. Make the lentils one evening. Set them aside. Finish it the next night. No rush. No pressure. Or make it in a single evening. Totally doable if you start early enough. This chicken dhansak is a hurry up and wait kind of recipe. Most of the time is spent watching it cook. Or doing other stuff. Lentils take a while to get to mush. And mush is where the magic is. That mush is the sauce. The creamy coating that wraps every bite of chicken. Perfect for dipping Indian flatbreads into. Mush into magic. That’s what this is about.
Chicken dhansak with a bengali twist
The flavour profile is different from classic chicken dhansak. Bengali flavours. Mustard seed. Cumin seed. Panch phoran. I think the only thing that could make this more Bengali is if you put potatoes into it. Panch phoran is going to take a trip to an Indian grocer. Count on that. But that’s always the case with Indian recipes. There are lots of other things to get. If you are getting into Indian cooking you will need to start collecting spices anyway. Panch phoran is Bengali five spice. A blend of whole spices. Cumin. Mustard seed. Fenugreek. Nigella. Fennel. Somehow these five spices come together into something that just works. Perfectly. Once you try it you’ll understand. It comes pre-mixed so just pick up the package labeled panch phoran and you are golden.
Bone-in chicken cooks in the lentils
Bone-in chicken makes a difference. And dark meat is always better for braised dishes. Two things you really need to stick to. Play with the spices. Try different things. But make sure that you use dark meat. On the bone. The chicken cooks in the lentils. The juices from the chicken become part of the sauce. That’s important. Really brings it together. Puts the chicken into chicken dhansak. Boneless chicken breast just cannot compete. Try the lentils after you add the tomato mixture. Then try it once the chicken is cooked. You’ll see. Before – lentil dish. After – chicken dhansak – Bengali style. This is homestyle cooking. Not what you get in restaurants. What people cook for family. For good friends. There are lots of flashy restaurant style dishes on this blog – including a dhansak curry. But sometimes comfort food is what you need. And this is comfort food. If you like Indian. And you like lentils. This chicken dhansak could be just what you need. Easy. And really tasty. How can you go wrong?