Dhansak

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Dhansak

Type	Rice and Curry
Place of origin	India
Region or state	Gujarat
Associated cuisine	Parsi, Indian
Main ingredients	Lentils, vegetables, spices, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, meat (mutton, goat meat), either gourd or pumpkin

Dhansak is a popular Indian dish, originating among the Parsi community.^[1] It combines elements of Persian and Gujarati cuisine. Dhansak is made by cooking mutton or goat meat with a mixture of lentils and vegetables. This is served with caramelised white rice, whole spices, and caramelized onions.

The technique of extending a relatively expensive ingredient (meat) by combining it with vegetables and/or lentils in the same recipe is widely employed in Persian cooking. ("Dhan" is Gujarati cereal dish mentioned in Kanhadade Prabandha in 1455 AD;^[2] "Sak" (derived from Gujarati "shaak" meaning vegetable greens or cooked vegetables.) The Gujarati element of the recipe is the liberal use of a variety of Indian spices and condiments, in contrast to the more mellow Iranian recipes.

In Parsi homes, dhansak is traditionally made on Sundays^[3] owing to the long preparation time required to cook the lentils and vegetables into a mush (in the days before pressure cooking was employed).

Dhansak is also always had on the fourth day after the death of a near one. There is no meat consumed for three days after the death and dhansak is used to break this abstinence on the fourth day. Hence, Dhansak is never prepared on auspicious occasions like festivals and weddings.^{[citation needed]}