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Chicken Dhansak
Serves 4 Prep 10 min Cook 10 min Total 20 min Type Meal Origin Indian

Chicken Dhansak

The BIR chicken dhansak: pre-cooked chicken in a sweet-sour-spicy gravy of lentils, pineapple and dhansak spices.

Serves 4 Prep 10 minutes Cook 10 minutes Units Rate

Overview

A British curry-house classic with sweet-sour notes of pineapple and lemon and earthy dhansak lentils. Inspired by Parsi dhansaks, this version uses red split lentils and pre-cooked chicken for convenience while keeping the iconic flavour profile.

Ingredients

Fat and aromatics

  • 4 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or seasoned oil
  • 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp Mixed Powder
  • 1 tbsp chilli powder, or to taste
  • 125 ml (½ cup) tomato purée

Base sauce

  • 500 ml Curry Base Gravy
  • 180 g (1 cup) red split lentils, rinsed and cooked until soft (e.g., tarka dhal)

Protein and sweet-sour

  • 800 g Pre-Cooked Chicken
  • 125 ml (½ cup) Chicken stock (or stock from Pre-Cooked Chicken)
  • 115 ml (scant ½ cup) pineapple juice
  • 3-4 canned pineapple rings, cut into pieces
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1-2 lemons, to taste (juice)

Finish

  • 3 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)

Method

Stage 1 - Start the sauce

  1. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high.
  2. Add garlic and ginger paste with turmeric; sizzle ~30 seconds until colour deepens.
  3. Add mixed powder, chilli powder, and tomato purée; stir briskly.

Stage 2 - Add base sauce and lentils

  1. Add 250 ml (1 cup) base curry sauce and simmer 1 minute.
  2. Stir in cooked lentils, reducing heat if they stick.

Stage 3 - Add chicken and fruit

  1. Add remaining base sauce, chicken, and stock splash.
  2. Add pineapple juice and pineapple pieces.
  3. Simmer 3-5 min until warmed and sauce is the desired thickness (add more sauce/stock if too thick).

Stage 4 - Finish and serve

  1. Season with salt and stir in lemon juice to taste.
  2. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Notes

  • serving recommendation from original: brown rice and traditional vegetable mix (pumpkin, aubergine, potato).
  • Keep a low simmer with lentils to prevent scorch.
  • Adjust sweetness with more pineapple juice or sugar if needed.

Serving

  • Serve with steamed brown rice, naan, or roti.
  • Garnish with extra coriander, a wedge of lemon, and optional fried onions.

Storage

  • Refrigerate 2-3 days in an airtight container.
  • Freeze up to 2 months; thaw fully before reheating.
  • Reheat gently on low heat with a splash of stock or water.
  • Best eaten within 24 hours for best flavour.

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