What is Dhansak?
Dhansak, a traditional Parsi dish, is a medley of lentils, vegetables and meat. Parsis are a community in the western part of Indian that came from Iran and settled in Gujarat and Maharashtra. This dish has influences of both Persian and Gujarati cooking. I have adapted this easy version of the Chicken dhansak to be made in the Instant Pot as a one pot meal and have used split yellow peas in place of lentils to make this Whole30 compatible. I have also included slow cooker instructions if you prefer to cook it in a slow cooker. I was surprised by how similar to chana daal/ bengal gram it was in taste. Also I have simplified the spices so this can be made with basic Indian spices. Traditionally a specific spice mix called Dhansak Masala is used to cook this flavorful dish. Chicken Dhansak can be a full rounded meal in itself or can be eaten with rice/cauli rice. It is usually served with a side of Indian salad called kachumber.
See this link for more details – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhansak
Ingredients
- Dried split peas (if you are not doing whole 30, you can use a mixture of masoor, chana and toor lentils)
- Chicken breast or thigh
- Acorn Squash – can be substituted by other kinds of starchy squashes or pumpkin
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Spinach
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
- Ghee
- Dried fenugreek/ Kasoori methi ( optional)
- Cilantro and green onions to season
Spices
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1.5 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Chilli powder or Paprika
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 bay leaf
Recipe Notes
- Chicken Dhansak can be cooked in the instant pot or the slow cooker. The instant pot version is slightly more flavorful as you can caramelize the onions and roast the spices to deepen the flavors. It is also creamier as the ingredients integrate together more. The slow cooker version is super easy to make though, as you just have to dump all the ingredients into the cooker and turn it on. I have provided both options, you can choose which appliance to make this in based on your preference.
- This is a great one pot meal which contains proteins, carbs and good fats as well as fibre from all the veggies. Its perfect for the winter months but can be eaten all year round as well.
- You can use a variety of vegetables for this like squash, pumpkin, eggplant, potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach etc. I would highly recommend to use a starchy squash to give it a sweet tinge which is balanced by the tartness of the lemon juice
- Dhansak masala can be blended at home but regular garam masala is ok to use for the simple version
- Chicken can be replaced by any other meat and can also be omitted all together for a vegan version
Try these other chicken recipes on the blog
- Chicken Kurma – https://masalapaleo.com/chicken-kurma-korma/
- Chicken with Spinach – https://masalapaleo.com/paalak-chicken-chicken-with-spinach-whole30-gluten-free/
- Coconut Chicken Curry – https://masalapaleo.com/coconut-chicken-curry-chicken-kozhambu/
Chicken Dhansak
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or other pressure cooker (Can be cooked in a slow cooker if desired)
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried split peas (if you are not doing whole 30, you can use a mixture of masoor/chana/toor lentils)
- 1 lb chicken breast or thigh
- 2 cups squash (I used acorn, can be substituted by other starchy squashes)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tomatoes
- 4 pods garlic can be substituted with garlic powder
- A knob of fresh ginger can be susbtituted with ginger powder
- 3 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup dried fenugreek/ Kasoori methi optional
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
- Ghee
- Cilantro leaves and green onions to garnish
Spices
- 1.5 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Chilli powder or Paprika
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
- Chop the onions and tomatoes and keep aside. Grind or very finely chop the garlic and ginger.
- Chop the vegetables that you plan to add to the dhansak – I used acorn squash and spinach. You can add potatoes, others kinds of squash, yams or even eggplant.
- Put the instant pot in saute mode and add a Tbsp of ghee.
- Add a tsp of cumin seeds and let them bloom, then add in the chopped garlic and ginger and bay leaf. Follow with chopped onions and tomatoes.
- Sauté this mix for 5 mins and now add in the chopped chicken. Let the chicken cook on all sides for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the remaining vegetables at this point. You can also deepen the flavors by adding the dried fenugreek leaves.
- Add the spices powders – garam masala, turmeric, coriander and chilli powder and constantly stir for a few minutes to avoid burning
- Wash the lentils and add these instant pot along with 3 cups of water. Close the instant pot lid to sealing and cook everything on manual pressure for 15 minutes.
- Once done, let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and add the lemon juice. Finally, garnish with cilantro leaves and chopped scallions.
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker along with 3 cups of water. Stir to mix well.
- Cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours
Aditi
Such an easy and wholesome recipe. Will try it soon. Thanks for sharing.
Monica
Slow cooker recipe version please!
Pri & Dee
Instructions added for slow cooker!