
Dhansak (vegetarian), Parsi style
A vegetarian Parsi dhansak is a one pot, thick stew made up of lentils and vegetables. It is a perfectly balanced flavourful dish that can be enjoyed with an aromatic rice or a crusty pav.
Sunday afternoon calls for a leisurely lunch and what can be better than a perfectly balanced dhansak with a whole spiced long grain rice caramelized with onions, a cutlet/kabab and some fresh, crunchy kachumbar. That is how most Parsi celebrate this much loved and popular meat and lentil dish, dhansak on a Sunday. Traditionally it was slow cooked that would take hours for the meat, veg and dal to become come together in a thick stew and thus a lunch more suited to be made on a weekend.
I call it a balanced dish because it has everything…in terms of flavour as well as nutrition. The lentils give the creaminess to this dish while the vegetables like pumpkin give an underlying sweetness to counter the bitterness of methi leaves. Whole spiced basmati rice caramelized with onions carries the dhansak flavours well while the fresh kachumbar add loads of texture to this dish.
Secret to an authentic dhansak lies in its wet or dry masala and the secret vinegar that is sourced from Navsari, Gujarat. Parsi vinegar – kolah no sarko, is a sugar cane vinegar that adds a distinct sweet-sour profile to a traditional, authentic dhansak and is a must have pantry ingredient in a Parsi household. Dhansak masala can be either a wet masala made up of garlic, tomatoes, onions with the whole spices or a dry powder one made up of a thoughtful blend of spices like cumin, coriander seeds, whole red chilies, fenugreek seeds etc. Just like kolah no sarko which is an age-old family-owned brand, Motilal Masalawala Mangal’s dhansak masala is a ready dhansak masala trusted by most Parsi households over the years.

There are several variations to dhansak and as my Parsi friends inform me, this recipe varies from house to house. The types and number of lentils used, the vegetables and even the masala differs but what remains constant is the balance and the depth of flavour in this dish. And in my opinion, dhansak is like the mint flavoured water that we make for pani puri. Longer it sits, tastier it gets!
The leftover dhansak is most often served with eggs and ladi pav or the famous Irani bread, brun pav which has a crusty top and a soft, chewy crumb. Being away from home we miss Irani bakeries and somehow the vegetarian version reminds me of the texture similar to pav bhaji so I often serve it with brun pav or ladi pav and a crunchy salad made up of green apple, cucumber and onion. The sour profile is essential to this recipe and the green apple and the lemon juice do that beautifully in absence of the parsi vinegar in this recipe.
Some other recipes that may interest you:
- Eggless mava cake with leftover mithai
- Softest rava dhokla
- Fada ni khichdi (dalia khichdi)
- Golden bhel
- Crispy coconut and lemon rice (tahdig)
Recipe Card
Dhansak (vegetarian), Parsi style
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AUTHOR
Hema B Kathrani
CUISINE
Parsi
PREP TIME
15 minutes + soaking time
COOK TIME
30 minutes
SERVINGS
Serves 3-4
Author: Hema B Kathrani | Cuisine: Parsi | Category: Mains
Prep Time: 15 minutes + soaking time | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Servings: Serves 3-4
A vegetarian Parsi dhansak is a one pot, thick stew made up of lentils and vegetables. It is a perfectly balanced flavourful dish that can be enjoyed with an aromatic rice or a crusty pav.
Ingredients
- For the dal:
- ½ cup toor dal (split yellow pigeon peas)
- ½ cup masoor dal (split red lentil)
- ¼ cup mung dal (yellow split mung beans)
- For the vegetable: *read notes
- 2 cups methi leaves (approx. half a bunch)
- 350 gm pumpkin
- 1 chayote
- 150 gm eggplant
- For the dhansak flavour base:
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 large cloves of garlic + ½ inch ginger paste
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 10-15 mint leaves
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tsp dhansak masala *read notes
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves and lemon for garnish
Method
- Prepare the dal mix:
- Mix the three dal and wash it well.
- Soak in warm water and keep it aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Prep the vegetables:
- Wash the methi leaves and keep it aside to dry.
- Clean and chop remaining vegetables in large chunks
- Make the flavour base:
- In a pressure cooker (Instant pot method is in notes), heat oil on a low flame.
- Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle for 20 seconds.
- Place mint leaves, coriander leaves and ¼ cup of methi leaves and sauté for another 20 seconds.
- Add onions and salt and fry till onions soften.
- Place tomatoes and paste of ginger-garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the dry masalas; turmeric powder, red chili powder and dhansak masala.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes on a low flame.
- Assembly:
Notes
- Though pumpkin and methi are a must in a dhansak, overall it is quite a forgiving recipe. Dry kasoori methi can be used if you are not able to source fresh methi. Most often while making this recipe, I used little bit of whatever leftover vegetable I have like a piece of lauki, some carrot, snake gourd, ash gourd etc. Watery vegetables work beautifully with this recipe but some other vegetables like cauliflower, bitter gourd, okra, radish etc can change the texture as well as flavour of this stew.
- I have used Motilal Masalawala’s Mangal dhansak masala and it is a preferred brand choice of most Parsi households. However, when I am unable to source it, I substitute it with a mix of garam masala + kitchen king masala. If you are interested in making your own spice blend, I recommend http://www.parsicuisine.com/how-to-make-dhansak-masala-at-home/
- Dhansak is served with kachumber of onions and tomatoes. However, I love to serve this delicious thick stew with a salad of sliced green apple, cucumber, red onion and jicama dressed with red chili powder, lots of lemon, salt and coriander leaves. A sour profile is necessary to this recipe and green apple and lemon juice ties this dish beautifully in the absence of parsi vinegar.
- Traditionally dhansak is served with rice that has been caramelized with onions and the whole spices and the leftovers is eaten with brun pav/ladi pav.
- To make this recipe in Instant pot, start the instant pot on a sauté mode and heat oil. Proceed with the recipe as written until dal and veggies are added. Cancel the sauté mode and place the lid of the instant pot with the vent in sealing position. Select pressure cook or manual mode and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the lid when the pin drops and grind the dhansak with a help of a hand blender.
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