Hot, tangy and slightly sweet, this homemade chicken dhansak curry is a great curry recipe to make at home. I love recreating our favourite takeaways at home and this dhansak recipe is perfect for an Indian curry night and healthier than a takeaway too! The sauce is packed full of flavour and deliciously thick from the lentils.
Dhansak is one of my husband's favourite curries and when we first met it was the one he used to order the most from our local curry house. It really is a very popular takeaway curry dish!
Dhansak is a great curry for anyone who likes lentils and slightly sweet and sour flavours. It's also a versatile curry. You can make it with chicken, lamb or keep it vegetarian. As a dhansak contains lentils, it's a great curry to make if you want to cut down on meat but still eat lots of protein.
If dhansak is one of your favourite takeaway choices and you want to recreate it at home then I promise you it's not hard. Like most homemade curries, this chicken dhansak is a little bit healthier than a takeaway but still full of flavour. Just like my chicken korma recipe!
Ingredient notes for chicken dhansak
Do check out the full recipe card further down the post for quantitites. To make this homemade curry you'll need:
- Chicken - You can use skinless thighs or breast meat. Sometimes I use my homemade chicken tikka too.
- Red lentils - These break down as they are cooking and help to thicken the sauce. If you like a bit of texture from lentils you can add a few green lentils as well.
- Onions - I use ordinary brown or red onions. They both work in this dhansak.
- Garlic - You can use fresh garlic cloves or garlic paste
- Ginger - Like with the garlic, you can use fresh root ginger and blend it in a food processor or use a ready made paste.
- Spices: chilli powder, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and fenugreek - Use more or less chilli powder to adjust the heat. You can also add some fresh chillies if you want a really hot dhansak!
- Tinned tomatoes - I always have tinned tomatoes in the cupboard and they are brilliant in recipes like this. If you don't have tinned tomatoes you can use finely diced fresh tomatoes.
- Tamarind paste - Most large supermarkets sell tamarind paste these days but if you can't get it, just add some extra lemon juice at the end.
- Sugar - Dhansak can be quite a sweet curry. I just add a little sugar but if you really like the sweetness then add a bit more. I have used caster sugar but you can use any kind of sugar. It can also be replaced by honey or jaggery.
- Stock - I usually use chicken stock but vegetable stock also works. If you don't have any stock you can even use water. You may just want to add a little extra seasoning.
- Lemon - This is for squeezing over when serving. It really adds to this curry's sweet and sour tang!
- Coriander leaf (cilantro) - Again, this is just for serving and you can miss it out if the people you are serving the curry to are not huge fans of coriander.
Can you cook it in the pressure cooker?
Yes you can. I have an Instant Pot and I would start off on the saute mode and after adding all the ingredients I would set it to pressure cook for 8 minutes with a natural pressure release.
Can you cook it in the slow cooker?
Yes, if the slow cooker is more convenint then after adding all the ingredients, set it to slow cook on low for 4 hours.
What to serve with this chicken dhansak curry?
I usually serve this curry with plain basmati rice and sometimes my nigella seed flatbreads. If you are looking for other side dish idea to go with it why not try:
How can you adapt this curry?
If you want to use a different meat instead of chicken then this dhansak is great with lamb too. I usually use lamb neck or shoulder.
You can also make it vegetarian by missing out the meat altogether and just adding extra lentils, vegetables or chickpeas.
How hot is a dhansak?
Dhansak is normally a medium spiced curry and this one is not especially hot. It's a great family friendly recipe as long as your family like a bit of heat!
However, if you prefer really hot curries then it is easy to spice it up. You can add some whole chilli peppers to the sauce or a couple of diced chilli peppers along with the ginger and garlic.
Storing and reheating
I love making enough so there are leftovers the next day. I think this chicken dhansak curry tastes just as good if not better after a night in the fridge! You can store it for up to three days in the fridge.
You can reheat it in a saucepan, in the microwave or in the oven. You may need to add a splash of water to stop it from sticking.
Can you freeze it?
Yes of course. If you have any leftovers that you don't want to eat up in the next few days then you can keep it in the freezer for up to three months. I usually store leftover curries in individual containers so it's easy to take out individual portions.
You can defrost it in the fridge overnight.
Recipe
Chicken Dhansak Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 10 g ginger grated
- 2 teaspoon chilli powder use less if you want less heat
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 500 g chicken diced
- 70 g dried red lentils rinsed well
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 400 g chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 lemon
- handful fresh coriander leaf optional
- Pinch salt adjust to suit your tastes
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan
- Cook the chopped onion gently for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the ginger and garlic. Cook for a minute, stirring and then stir in the ground spices. Add a tablespoon of water if the pan is too dry.
- Add the chicken pieces. Stir so they get coated in the spices and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, stock, tamarind and sugar. Bring up to the boil and then immediately cover with a lid and lower to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Check the consistency. Simmer for a little longer if there is too much liquid.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You may want to add a little extra sugar or salt. Squeeze on some lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped coriander.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More curry recipes
I love making homemade curries and recreating Indian takeaways at home. Why not check out my chicken Madras too? Or my chicken patia which also has tamarind in? All these recipes are inspired by curry house favourites:
For more curry recipes do check out my easy homemade curries from scratch post!
Keep in touch
Do let me know if you make this easy chicken dhansak curry or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.
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Anonymous
Good flavour but incredibly runny with the amount of stock suggested
Corina Blum
I'm glad you enjoyed the flavour. I do usually serve this curry in bowls because there is a lot of sauce. You can also remove the lid earlier and simmer it for a bit longer to reduce the sauce as well. Next time time I make it I'll test out using a little less stock though just to check the quantities. Corina
Sioned
Hello, are the lentils dried or pre-cooked/soaked?
Corina Blum
Hi, the lentils are dried red lentils which cook very quickly so there's no need to pre-cook or soak them. Hope you enjoy the curry. Corina
Andrew Tunis
Do you not put any salt in this?
Corina Blum
Hi Andrew,
Sorry, I do add a little salt to taste. I've just missed it from the recipe. I'll update it now - thanks for letting me know.
Corina
Rable
It is also great with spinach.
Corina Blum
yes! I think spinach would be a great addition! I love spinach in curries.
Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes
Thanks for sharing, this looks a lovely way to enjoy a fake away 🙂
Corina Blum
Thanks Nic! It is a really really tasty curry and we all enjoy it. I'm very lucky my children like curries too.
Peter Turner
Hi
AKA Poppadom Pete
Really good recipe
I used a whole chicken which I jointed and cooked and then removed deboned and whizzed the sauce and then put the chicken back with some tinned pineapple.
Corina Blum
Hi, that sounds like an interested twist on the recipe. I'm glad you liked it though.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Yum! I love a homemade curry and this one looks especially good 😀
Corina Blum
It is really yummy Eb! I'm sure you'd love it.
Cat | Curly's Cooking
I've not tried a dhansak before, but the flavours sound delicious. I am so unadventurous when it comes to Indian cooking and I really need to branch out. This is definitely on my list.
Corina Blum
I hope you like it Cat! It's definitely worth making
Sandhya Hariharan
Dhansak is a takeaway favourite curry and we love them with flabreads!
Corina Blum
Oh yes Sandhya, it is great with flatbreads!
Carrie Carvalho
I have never tried Dhansak but I will need to give this a go! Looks so delicious and a bit lighter than our usual curry night choices.
Corina Blum
Yes, it is a fairly healthy curry! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Do let me know if you try it.
marita
Oh this looks like a delicious curry. I am always looking for homemade curry recipes and will have to try this one. Thank you.
Corina Blum
That's great Marita! I love homemade curries and make one about once a week as it's one of those meals I can guarantee everyone in our family will enjoy!
Jo Keohane
Dhansak is my absolute favourite curry and I've never tried making it at home. Will definitely give it a go now! Thanks for posting this fab recipe.
Corina Blum
Thanks Jo! I really hope you all like it - let me know if you make it!
Richard
Great recipe I add green beans and spinach cooked weekly
Corina Blum
Thank you so much for letting me know. I'm so pleased you like it and I'm sure the green beans and spinach are a great addition.
Sisley White - Sew White
I really need to be braver at making curries at home as I thought they were so complicated but reading your recipe I found out how easy it is to do. thank you!
Corina Blum
oh yes, I hope you do try making a curry soon - they really are quite easy to make!
Helen
This looks terrific - great family food!
Thanks for joining in with #CookBlogShare 🙂
Corina Blum
Thanks for hosting Helen - I know it takes a lot of work! And I'm really pleased you like this.