Cooking for the Masses

For when you have to Cater for More than Just Family

The Parsi people originated from Persia (now Iran), and it's this community of people that developed the Dhansak. It's usually prepared on a Sunday due to the amount of time it can take.

The recipe below is sweetened using fruit juice, but in the tradional recipes fruit or fruit juice would not have been used. Instead, the Parsi people would use butternut squash or pumpkins.

This meal can be ready within an hour, and will serve four people.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, 300ml chicken stock, 200ml pure pineapple juice, 100ml mango chutney, 5 onions, 2 garlic cloves, fennel seeds, 50ml natural yogurt, ginger puree, tomato puree, 400g lentils, turmeric powder, mild curry powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, fresh coriander leaves

Method:

1. Put some water in a small pan and place over a High Heat. While the water is heating, taking 3 of the onions, peel and dice them finely. Once the water is boiling add the onions to the pan and boil until they are soft. Once soft, drain away the water and add to a Food Processor to blend. You now have your onion puree!

2. Follow the same method above with the lentils to make the lentil puree.

3. Next place a large saucepan over a high heat and add a teaspoon of fennel seeds. Heat them until they start to crackle. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, peel and chop the remaining onions and add them to the pan. Reduce the temperature to a low heat and cook the onions slowly until they are brown.

4. Now make the curry paste - do this by adding 4 teaspoons of the curry powder, 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of chili powder into a little bowl along with a little bit of water. Then crush in the garlic cloves (no need to peel the skin) and grate in a little ginger to really get the flavours going!

5. Add the curry paste to the saucepan and fry for a couple of minutes. Then cut the chicken breasts into mouth-sized chunks and add this to the saucepan, stirring well.

6. Cook the chicken in the pan for a few minutes, and then pour in the pineapple juice. Then stir in the mango chutney.

7. Now, in a second bowl, pour the yoghurt in, and put 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and all the onion and lentil puree, and mix in the bowl.

8. Make up the chicken stock and pour this into the pan, followed by the yoghurt mixture. Raise the heat until the whole lot begins to simmer, and then lower it to allow the curry to simmer away for another 15-20 minutes.

9. After 15-20 minutes add 2 teaspoons full of garam masala. Give it a final really good stir and give it another couple of minutes on the heat.

10. Now it's ready to serve, with fluffy rice and naan bread, and if you fancy some fresh coriander leaves on top and why not have a Tiger beer?

If you enjoyed this recipe then we have loads more chicken breast recipes, just follow the link!