Lamb Dhansak
Lamb dhansak
Ingredients
For the lentil and vegetable stew:
- 100 g toor lentils
- 50 g red masoor lentils
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 small potato, peeled and diced
- 100 g squash (bottle gourd), diced
- 50 g baby spinach
- 30 g fresh fenugreek leaves
- 2 sprigs dill leaves
- salt
For the spice powder:
- 2 inch piece cassia bark
- 3 green cardamom
- 3 cloves
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ star anise
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
For the lamb curry:
- 60 ml rapeseed oil
- 2 onions, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 500 g diced lamb shoulder(with bone)
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp fried garlic flakes
Instructions
- Wash lentils and place in a stewing pot.
- Add ground turmeric, potato, bottle gourd, spinach, fenugreek and dill.
- Add 500 ml water, mix well.
- Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 1 hour or until the lentils are well cooked and soft. Add salt and allow it to cool.
- Once cooled, use a hand blender to combine to a smooth puree.
- Add little water if required.Lightly toast the spices and grind to a fine powder; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large pot, fry onions until golden brown (roughly 20 min).
- Add ginger,garlic pastes and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the powdered spices and mix well.
- Add the lamb and keep mixing on a high heat until the meat is seared well on all sides.
- Add chilli powder, tomato and tamarind paste,mix well and add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Simmer and slow cook the lamb (roughly 45 min)until tender.
- Now add the lentil-vegetable puree and cook for further few minutes to combine well.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with fried garlic flakes.
- Dhansak is traditionally served with brown pulaoand tomato kachumber.