Dhansak
Encyclopedia
Dhansak is a popular Indian dish, especially popular among the Parsi Zoroastrian community. It combines elements of Persian
and Gujarati cuisine
. In Parsi homes, dhansak is traditionally made on Sundays owing to the long preparation time.
s, vegetables, spices, cumin seeds, ginger
, and garlic together with meat and either gourd
or pumpkin
. Within the Parsi community, dhansak usually contains goat meat
(mutton); it is rarely made with other meats, or without meat.
Outside of India, some variants of dhansak use pineapple chunks for sweetness, however the traditional recipes never contain fruit, instead favoring the subtle sweetness of pumpkin, squash or gourd.
Iranian cuisine
Iranian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, culinary traditions and styles distinct to its region.It includes a wide variety of foods ranging from chelo kabab , khoresht Iranian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, culinary traditions and styles distinct to...
and Gujarati cuisine
Gujarati cuisine
Gujarati cuisine refers to the cuisine of the Gujaratis from India, who are predominant in western India. It is primarily a vegetarian cuisine, despite having an extensive coastline for sea food, due influence of Jain vegetarianism and traditional Hinduism...
. In Parsi homes, dhansak is traditionally made on Sundays owing to the long preparation time.
Ingredients
Dhansak consists of lentilLentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
s, vegetables, spices, cumin seeds, ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, and garlic together with meat and either gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
or pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
. Within the Parsi community, dhansak usually contains goat meat
Goat meat
Goat meat is the meat of the domestic goat . It is often called chevon or mutton when the meat comes from adults, and cabrito or kid when from young animals...
(mutton); it is rarely made with other meats, or without meat.
Outside of India, some variants of dhansak use pineapple chunks for sweetness, however the traditional recipes never contain fruit, instead favoring the subtle sweetness of pumpkin, squash or gourd.
External links
- Recipe at Khanakhanzana.com