Love the chicken dhansak you get in your local curry restaurant? Now you can make it at home with this easy peasy Homemade Chicken Dhansak fakeaway recipe!
This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
One of my most requested recipes!
I often get emails, comments and social media messages from my readers, asking for me to make specific recipes for this website. And an easy peasy recipe for homemade Chicken Dhansak is one of my most requested recipes!
To those who have asked for it, sorry it took so long, I hope you feel it was worth the wait. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it! Let me know in the comments below.
Want to see a particular recipe on Easy Peasy Foodie?
Let me know in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to oblige… I can’t promise I’ll be able to include every request, but if enough people ask me, I will!
Easy Chicken Dhansak with Multicoloured Pilau Rice
Homemade Chicken Dhansak – easy peasy style!
This Homemade Chicken Dhansak is super simple to make… All you need to do is gently fry diced onions, followed by garlic, chilli flakes and spices. Then add tinned tomatoes, water, lentils, salt, pepper, diced chicken thigh fillets and chopped peppers. Stir and bring to the boil then put a lid on the pan and cook in the oven for 1 hours 30 minutes. Finally stir through fresh coriander (cilantro) and serve. Easy Peasy!
(Full instructions in the recipe card below.)
Prefer lamb dhansak?
If you prefer lamb in your dhansak then head over to my easy peasy lamb version >>> Easy Lamb Homemade Dhansak
You’ll see it is pretty much the exact same recipe, just using diced lamb instead of diced chicken thigh. You could also use diced beef, or even pork, instead of chicken if you prefer.
Easy Lamb Dhansak
What to serve with Chicken Dhansak
I like to serve Chicken Dhansak with homemade pilau rice and plain naan bread.
It also goes well with:
- Mushroom Pilau Rice
- Fruity Pilau Rice
- Vegetable Pilau Rice
- Multicoloured Pilau Rice (shown in the photos)
- Peshwari Naan
- Plan basmati rice
Or, if you want a lower calorie / low carb option, this delicious chicken curry also goes very well with my Pilau Cauliflower Rice or my Plain Cauliflower Rice.
Easy Chicken Dhansak with Multicoloured Pilau Rice
What to drink with chicken dhansak
Chicken Dhansak works really well with aromatic white wines, such as Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnay goes quite well too – especially ones that are full of tropical fruit flavours (This style is typically from hotter climates and doesn’t have too much oak.)
A fruity rosé is another good bet. I would tend to avoid red wine with chicken dhansak. But if I had to choose a red, I’d go for something juicy and fruity – maybe a fruity Chilean Merlot or a US Zinfandel.
What to do with leftover chicken dhansak
This is one of those many, many recipes that actually tastes BETTER the next day, so a great make ahead option!
Put any leftover (or ‘made ahead’) curry in a lidded container and place in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 3 days.
To reheat, simply tip the curry into a saucepan with a splash of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until piping hot all the way through.
Alternatively reheat this curry in the microwave until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze chicken dhansak?
Yes, as with most curries, Chicken Dhansak freezes very well. In fact, I recommend you make double the quantity and freeze half for some time in the future when you are super short on time, but still want to eat well!
Simply put the cooked and cooled curry into a lidded container and place it in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Easy Chicken Dhansak
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- 2 cm ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 400 g chopped tinned tomatoes
- 400 ml water (use the empty tomato tin to measure this – 1 tin=400ml / 14oz)
- 100 g red lentils
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 600 g diced chicken thigh
- 1 red bell pepper chopped into bitesize pieces (See Note 1)
- 1 green bell pepper chopped into bitesize pieces (See Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) roughly chopped – plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F.
- Place the oil and diced onion in a flameproof, ovenproof pan (see Note 2). Cook gently with the lid on for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala, and gently fry, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, water, lentils, salt, pepper, diced chicken and chopped peppers. Stir and bring to the boil.
- Put a lid on the pan and place in your preheated oven (see Note 2).
- Cook the curry in the oven for 1 hours 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it’s not getting dry. (If it gets too dry, simply add a splash more water and stir, before replacing the lid and returning to the oven.)
- Remove from the oven and stir in the fresh coriander (cilantro).
- Garnish with extra fresh coriander leaves and serve with pilau rice and naan bread.
Notes
- Do not cut the peppers up too small or they will almost dissolve into this curry – keep the pepper pieces a bit chunky!
- I use a Le Creuset-style cast iron casserole dish*, (AKA dutch oven) which can go on the hob and in the oven. If you don’t have a pan that can go on the hob and in the oven, simply start this curry in a regular saucepan and then tip it into a (lidded) ovenproof dish to go into the oven.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Disclosure
*This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Hayley says
Confess I haven’t tried it yet – but this is my favourite curry – can’t wait to cook it next week!
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that – let me know how it goes!
Hayley Smith says
Loved it! Making it again today!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review and 5* rating 😀
Helen Watkin says
Hi , I made this in my instant pot last night. It only took 6 minutes at pressure and then 10 minutes natural release. It was delicious.
So many of the EasyPeasy foodie recipes translate brilliantly to Instant Pot cooking.
Eb Gargano says
That’s so great to hear! Thank you so much for sharing your Instant Pot tips 😀
Angela says
My chicken Dhansak was ok but it was very watery
I followed the recipe
Can you tell me where I went wrong
Many thanks
Eb Gargano says
Oh, that is strange. It should result in quite a thick sauce – as you can see in the pictures. To be honest, I’m not quite sure what could have gone wrong. It could be the brand of lentils you used absorbed less of the liquid, or it could be down to having a slightly different shaped oven dish, or it could be down to your oven temperature (while I am sure you put it on the right temperature, ovens do vary!) Next time, I recommend you reduce the water by at least 200ml and, if it still looks too liquidy when you get it out of the oven, pop it on the hob on high (stirring frequently) and it will soon thicken up. Hope it works out better for you next time! Eb 🙂
Jenny says
Hi if I cooked this with mini chicken fillets how long would it need in the oven? Thanks
Eb Gargano says
You could get away with cooking this for about 45 minutes in the oven, if you are using mini fillets. However, the longer this cooks in the oven, the more time the flavours have to develop, so you will get a better flavour over all if you cook it for 1h-1h30. However, if you do this the meat may become a little tough. One good compromise could be to cook the sauce for 1h30 and add the chicken in half way through. That way you get the best of both worlds. Eb 🙂
Jennifer says
Absolutely delicious & I’ve made some curries in my time. Went on to do the Rogan Josh which was equally as easy and delish. Will definitely be doing more. Thanks
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay – I am so happy to hear this! Thank you for this lovely review 😀