Parsi Dhansak Chicken Curry

Name: Parsi Dhansak Chicken Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: ½ tsp ground turmeric; 700 ml/24 fl oz/3 cups warm water; 4 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tbsp butter; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 bay leaf; 2 white onions, chopped; 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste; 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste; 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder; ¼ tsp tamarind concentrate or 1 tsp tamarind sauce; ¼ tsp tamarind concentrate or 1 tsp tamarind sauce; 1 tsp brown sugar; 500 g/1 lb 2 oz skinless chicken breasts, cut into medium pieces; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; 1 tsp poppy seeds; ½ tsp mustard seeds; 5 cm/2 in cinnamon stick; 1 star anise; 1 brown cardamom pod, seeds only; 4–5 green cardamom pods; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 5 black peppercorns; 1 tsp garam masala, to garnish; 2 tbsp coriander seeds; A few fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped, to garnish; A few fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped, to garnish; 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves; Juice of ½ a lemon, to garnish; Salt, to taste

Preparation info

Serves:
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr

Appears in

No Worries, Just Chicken Curries

By Suki Pantal

Published 2025

About

The word dhansak cannot be used without mentioning the Parsi community in India, a group of Zoroastrians who migrated from Persia to India around the 8th to the 10th century CE. The dish reflects a blend of Persian and Gujarati culinary influences, combining lentils, vegetables and meat, typically goat or chicken, which come together to give us a satisfying, nutritious and delectable pot of goodness.

The term dhansak is derived from two Gujarati words: dhan, which refers to cereal o

Ingredients

Asia
Iran
India
Stew
Main course
Gluten-free
Gujarat

Ingredients

Method