Hairy Bikers Chicken Dhansak

Hairy Bikers chicken dhansak is a sweet and sour curry where skin-on chicken thighs simmer slowly into split red lentils, tamarind, and a warm dhansak spice blend. It comes from Our Family Favourites, serves 4 at around 550 kcal, and needs about 45 minutes on the hob once the chicken is browned.

Si and Dave say they first met in 1992 over four poppadoms and a chicken dhansak in the Egypt Cottage pub, so this curry is where their whole friendship started. That is why they cook it with bone-in thighs instead of quick breast, because the slow simmer pulls real depth out of the meat and into the lentils.

The one step that makes or breaks it is letting the lentils cook right down until they nearly collapse. That is what thickens the sauce and carries the tamarind through every bite, so give it the full time and the lentils turn into a rich, clingy gravy.

Hairy Bikers Chicken Dhansak Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:British Indian Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:IntermediatePrep time: 40 minutesCook time: 45 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 25 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:550 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Brown salted, lemon-rubbed chicken thighs, then build a spiced base of onion, ginger, garlic, and dhansak powder before the lentils and stock go in. Everything simmers together for 45 minutes until the meat is tender and the lentils melt into a thick, tangy sauce, ready for rice and a spoon of cool yoghurt.

Ingredients

For the Curry

• 8 chicken thighs, skin on and on the bone
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
• 2 large onions, finely sliced
• 15g root ginger, grated
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
• 2 tbsp dhansak curry powder
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 150g split red lentils, well rinsed
• 500ml chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper

To Serve

• Basmati rice
• Green chillies
• Coriander leaves
• 100ml plain yoghurt

Instructions

1. Salt and marinate: Season the chicken well with salt, then pour over the lemon juice and leave it to stand for half an hour so the flavour sinks in.
2. Brown the thighs: Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole, then add the chicken skin-side down and sear until lightly browned before flipping and cooking a few minutes more. Once coloured, lift the thighs out and set them aside.
3. Soften the onions: Add the onions to the same pan and cook over medium heat until they soften, then stir in the ginger, garlic, and dhansak powder and cook a couple of minutes until fragrant.
4. Build the base: Stir in the tomato purée and tamarind paste, then return the chicken to the pan and turn it over so every piece is coated in the spices.
5. Add lentils and stock: Sprinkle in the lentils, pour over the stock, and tuck in the bay leaves before seasoning with salt.
6. Simmer it down: Bring to the boil while stirring so nothing sticks, then cover and drop to a gentle simmer for about 45 minutes until the chicken is tender and the lentils have almost collapsed. Check now and then, adding a splash of water if it looks too dry.
7. Finish and serve: Sprinkle over a little more dhansak powder, then serve with basmati rice, green chillies, coriander, and a spoon of yoghurt on the side.

FAQs

My lentils have not collapsed after 45 minutes, what went wrong?

The pan has most likely dried out. Split red lentils need enough liquid to keep breaking down, so if it looks dry they stay grainy.

Add a splash of hot water, pop the lid back on, and give them another ten minutes until they slump into the sauce.

Do I need to salt the chicken and leave it for half an hour first?

Yes, and it is the step people skip to save time. That half hour with salt and lemon seasons the thighs right through, not just on the surface.

The lemon also lifts the whole curry, which matters because dhansak leans sour rather than creamy.

Shop-bought dhansak powder or make my own?

The book gives you the full homemade blend, and it is worth doing if you cook curry often. You toast and grind coriander, cumin, chilli, cardamom, peppercorns, fenugreek, mustard, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon, then add nutmeg and turmeric.

It makes about five tablespoons, so one batch covers this curry more than twice. Fresh-toasted spice tastes far deeper than a jar.

Can I make the spinach version Si and Dave also do?

You can, because the same red lentil base is what their saagsak builds on. In Chicken and Egg they use boneless thighs and wilt in 400g of spinach near the end for a lighter one-pot curry, and you can find it as their chicken and spinach curry.

If you just want another lentil-thick curry, their lamb dhansak bakes lamb slowly with butternut squash.

What else should I cook for a proper curry night?

Dhansak sits between mild and hot, so it pairs well with a curry that pulls the other way. Their chicken balti is lighter at 330 calories, while their chicken jalfrezi brings fresh green chillies for real heat.

For a rich lamb option, their lamb rogan josh slow-cooks in tomato and yoghurt.