Dhan-Saak Rice

by Tarla Dalal

Added to 114 cookbooks
This recipe has been viewed 5073 times

Serve this traditional Parsi dish with fried "Papad" sweet mango chutney, curds and chopped onions and tomatoes.

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Preparation time: 30 mins.
Cooking time: 30 mins.
Serves 8

Ingredients

For the dhan-saak
3/4 cup toovar (arhar) dal
1 tbsp moong dal (split green gram)
1 tbsp masoor dal (split red lentil)
1 tbsp vaal dal (split field beans/ split butter beans)
1 tbsp urad dal (split black lentils)
1 potato
1 small brinjal (baingan / eggplant)
2 tomatoes
1 small sized bunch of fenugreek (methi) leaves
3 spring onions with greens
1 50 mm x 75 mm (2" x 3") slice of red pumpkin (bhopla / kaddu)
1 slice of bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki)
6 tsp tamarind (imli) water
4 tbsp ghee
1 onion, chopped
salt to taste
To be ground into a paste (for dhan-saak)
4 green chillies
8 red chillies
10 cloves garlic (lehsun)
25 mm. (1") piece of ginger (adrak)
3 sticks cinnamon (dalchini)
3 cloves (laung / lavang)
3 black peppercorns (kalimirch)
3 cardamoms (elaichi)
4 tsp coriander (dhania) seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tbsp chopped fresh corriander (dhania)

To be made into powdered masala (for dhan-saak)
3 cardamoms (elaichi)
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
3 sticks cinnamon (dalchini)

For the rice
3 cups Steamed Rice
2 onions
2 sticks cinnamon (dalchini)
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
3 cloves garlic (lehsun), crushed (optional)
3 tsp sugar
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp salt

Method

For dhan-saak

Mix the dals and wash them.
Cut the vegetables into big pieces.
Mix the dals and vegetables, add 7 teacups of water and cook in a pressure cooker.
Sieve this mixture. If it is very thick, add a little water.
Heat the ghee in a vessel and fry the chopped onions for a little time. Add the paste and fry again for 3 minutes.
Add the dal mixture and salt and boil for 30 minutes.
Add the tamarind water and sprinkle the powdered masala and cook for a few minutes.
Serve hot with dhan-saak rice.

For the rice

Chop the onions.
Heat the ghee in a vessel and fry the onions for a little time. Add the cinnamon, cloves, crushed garlic and fry again.
Add the rice, salt and enough water to cook the rice.
Cook the sugar mixed with 1 teaspon of water on a slow flame. When it becomes brown, add to the rice while it is cooking.
Serve this rice with dhan-saak.