Beef Dhansak - a hugely popular Indian curry that uses meat and lentils with fragrant spices for this amazing fakeaway dish.
Indian Dhansak Curry Recipe
One recipe I keep getting requests for is a Dhansak curry, and so I thought it was time I create my take on this delicious curry.
I love a decent curry, even the most blandest of ingredients can be turned into something amazing with a good blend of spices and you are totally spoilt for choice with some amazing curry recipes, right here on Slimming Eats.
Great Curry Recipes
Here are some of my favourite curry recipes on Slimming Eats
- Chicken Dupiaza
- Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
- Lamb Rogan Josh
- Tarka Dhal
- Bombay Beef Curry
- Chicken Korma
- Creamy Coconut Red Pepper Chicken Curry
- Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes and can search by ingredients, course, diet and more.
All with estimated calories and Slimming Eats and Weight Watchers Smart Points values.
Spices for Curries
The beauties of a curry like this Beef Dhansak is the sauce can be pretty much used for a base for any protein of your choice, so if you don't like beef, use chicken, lamb or even shrimp. Just be aware that the latter especially won't need much cooking time.
This Beef Dhansak recipe does combine a couple of unique spices that you may not have in your store cupboard or pantry. But it really is worth using them for the flavour. Black cardamom pods are the main spice that you may not have on hand you only need a couple.
These can easily be found at any Indian Grocer store, so check ones in your area or you can also order from on Amazon. They add a slight hot smokey flavour that is pretty unique, you can omit if you really struggle to find these, but traditionally black cardamom is used in Dhansak curry, so you won't get that proper authentic taste without.
Cooking Curry in a Pressure Cooker
Own an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker? You will be pleased to know you can cook this yummy Beef Dhansak recipe either on the Stove Top in a saucepan or in your pressure cooker.
I use an Instant Pot which is basically a 7in1 cooker, which can slow cook, pressure cook, sauté and has various settings for soup, chilli, rice, porridge and even makes yoghurt (I haven’t tried that yet). Manual high pressure is my choice of setting the majority of the time, picking my own timings depending on what it is I am making.
Great Sides for Curry
There are some vegetables in this beef dhansak recipe, but another great option is to serve with the Roasted Cauliflower Rice or Zucchini Cauliflower Rice instead of regular rice or serve alongside half the usual amount of rice and instead add some roasted cauliflower florets to your plate or another choice of vegetable that would pair well.
Love pilau rice? Then this Sweetcorn Pilau Rice or Zucchini Pilau Rice is another perfect side choice for this Beef Dhansak Curry. Just don't forget some additional speed foods. Remember if you make your entire plate at least ⅓ veg you will boost weight loss.
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Recipe Card
Beef Dhansak (Stove Top and Pressure Cooker)
Beef Dhansak - a hugely popular Indian curry that uses meat and lentils with fragrant spices for this amazing Slimming Eats friendly dish.
Ingredients
- 600g (21oz) of extra lean diced (stewing) beef, raw
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of ginger root, grated
- 250g (9oz) of butternut squash, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon of ground coriander
- 1.5 teaspoons of Kashmiri chilli powder (use more or less depending on your spice level)
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric
- 2 black cardamom pods, bashed
- 4 cloves, whole
- piece of cinnamon bark
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste (puree)
- ½ cup (120ml) of chopped tomatoes, canned
- ½ cup (100g) of red lentils, rinsed
- 2 green chillies, sliced in half lengthways
- 2 cups (480ml) of water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- cooking oil spray
Instructions
Stove Top:
- Heat a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and spray with cooking oil spray.
- Add the beef and brown on all sides (you may want to do this in two batches, to prevent overcrowding). Set aside
- Add the onion to a food processor and pulse the blade a couple of times until finely chopped.
- Spray the pan with some more cooking oil spray and add the onion, fry for a couple of minutes until translucent.
- Add the butternut squash, garlic and ginger to the food processor and pulse a few times until very finely chopped
- Add this into the onion with another spray of cooking oil spray and fry until softened.
- Add in the spices, tomato paste and tomatoes and cook the spices for a couple of minutes.
- Add in the beef, lentils, green chillis, water and salt, bring to a boil and then simmer for 1.5 hours, (beef should be lovely and tender and the sauce rich). If you like your dhansak curry more liquidy, you can add in a little more water if needed. Check it half way through cooking time.
- Serve with your choice of sides and some chopped coriander.
Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot):
- Set the Instant Pot to saute, and spray with some cooking oil spray.
- Once the instant pot displays HOT - Add the beef and brown on all sides (you may want to do this in two batches, to prevent overcrowding). Set aside
- Add the onion to a food processor and pulse the blade a couple of times until finely chopped.
- Spray the Instant Pot pan with some more cooking oil spray and add the onion, fry for a couple of minutes until translucent.
- Add the butternut squash, garlic and ginger to the food processor and pulse a few times until very finely chopped
- Add this into the onion with another spray of cooking oil spray and fry until softened.
- Add in the spices, tomato paste and tomatoes and cook the spices for a couple of minutes.
- Add back in the beef, lentils, green chillis, water and salt.
- Set to manual high pressure for 25 mins. Once finished cooking, Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Serve with your choice of sides and top with some chopped coriander.
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 304Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 667mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 8gSugar 8gProtein 40g
Nutritional information values, points etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
Vivienne Pennington says
Hi just making th curry. Still no instantbpot. They are selling for over £100 just now, have the pressure King how much difference is their between the two. I already have the pressure King. Once again thanks for the recipes
Jenna says
If I haven’t got any cinnamon bark do you think 1/2tsp of ground cinnamon would work?
Thanks
Jenna
Steph says
Can you make this in a slow cooker ♥️
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
I haven't tested in a slow cooker, but it should work fine, you will just need to adjust liquid.
Geraldine says
Have just made this. Brilliant! Thank you
Sandra Bishop says
Siobhan another winner beautiful !
Rona Gregory says
Hi Siobhan! Silly question but here goes ... the green chillis are just split in half and thrown in? Not chopped? So, when cooked are they taken out (so they just added flavor) or are they lift in? Do they mush down or does someone get a surprise bite?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
you can do either, take out and discard or leave in if you like that extra heat. I find adding them halved instead of all chopped gives a nicer balance of spice, it was how my North Indian friend makes her curries.