Parsi Dhanshak

A delicious blend of vegetables and lentils all cooked with freshly ground masala; Parsi Dhanshak is one of the best Vegetarian recipes from the Parsi cuisine.

Flavorful, delicious and yet pretty easy to put together using the Instant Pot.

Parsi cuisine is such a rich and flavorful cuisine. Full of spices, delicious combinations and a ton of flavors.

The cuisine is dominated by non-vegetarian dishes; and has a few vegetarian recipes. The count may be pretty small but all these dishes are super amazing. They may not be very popular commercially; yet they are delicious.

From this Dhanshak and Brown Rice to ravo, cutlets, falooda and lagan nu custard; all the recipes are great to try.

What is Dhanshak

Technically; the word Dhanshak is made of two words; 'dhan' meaning cereal or lentil and 'shak' is derived from the Gujarati word Shaak; meaning vegetables.

Thus, together these words make Dhanshak; a delicious preparation. Moreover, as the name suggests; we use lentils, vegetables and a special masala mix called Dhanshak Masala. This masala is easy to make at home or buy off the shelf.

Dhanshak is definitely the undisputed champion of Parsi comfort food. It is great to enjoy as a meal by itself or to enjoy as a side. It is the best comfort meal for any weekend. We totally love it for Sunday lunch and follow that with a nap!

This recipe of Vegetarian Dhanshak may vary from the traditional one. It is actually the one that my family has been using for years. It is from the handwritten cookbook that she has owned for decades. I was introduced to the recipe when I got married and now this is on top of my comfort food recipes.

Why this recipe works

• This recipe uses a ton of vegetables and lentils. A great way to eat all your veggies in one meal.
• It is a versatile recipe where you can use ingredients of your choice.
• The recipe is naturally Gluten-free.
• Moreover, it is easy to make Vegan Dhanshak; simply replace ghee with oil.
• This one pot meal is perfect for any day. It is definitely a great Sunday lunch recipe.
• The recipe is easy to scale up or down; simply change the ingredients; the cook time remains same.
• This Dhanshak is great for lunchbox too.
• Also, a great recipe to make ahead of time. As the dhanshak stands, it tends to get more flavorful.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Vegetables: I like to add a lot of vegetables to the recipe. Eggplant, bottle gourd, spinach, carrot, onions, tomatoes and fenugreek work well. Fresh or frozen vegetables work well here. Simply add what you have at hand.
• Dals: A mix of tuvar, masoor and moong dals is great to use. They make the dhanshak nutritious and super creamy too. Substitute if necessary.
• Spice Mix: The spice mix is the heart of the recipe. For this we use garlic, dried red chili, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and roasted coriander seeds. This mix can be substituted with a store bought Dhanshak masala too. We also use salt to season the dhanshak.
• Ghee: The tempering for the recipe is perfect in ghee. However, oil can be used for a Vegan version.
• Toppings: The prepared dhanshak is best served with chopped onions and some cilantro. They add a lot of freshness and texture to the recipe.
• Moreover, adding pumpkins, potatoes and fresh fenugreek leaves works too.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- Wash these dals well 2-3 times under running water and drain the water. Set aside.

• ¼ cup Tuvar Dal
• ¼ cup Moong Dal
• ¼ cup Masoor Dal

2- Chop all the vegetables roughly. Peel the gourd before chopping.

• 1 medium Eggplant
• ½ medium Bottle Gourd
• 1½ medium Onion
• 1 cup Spinach
• ¼ cup Fenugreek Leaves
• 1½ Tomato

3- In the base of the instant pot add all the vegetables.

4- Then add all the washed dals and season with 1½ salt.

5- Also add 2 cups water and mix well.

6- Close the lid; set mode to 'pressure cook' at high pressure and time to 12 minutes. Also, move the vent to sealing position and let everything cook. Once the instant pot beeps, let all the pressure release naturally. Then open the Instant Pot.

7- Use a masher or immersion blender and blend the mix well. Set aside.

8- Meanwhile, in a blender jar add all the ingredients for the masala. Blend to a smooth paste using water if required and set aside.

• 1 inch Ginger (chopped)
• 6-7 cloves Garlic (chopped)
• 2 Dried Red Chillies
• 2-3 barks Cinnamon
• 4-5 Cloves
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds

9- Also heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a pan and add ½ a diced onion.

10- Sauté for 3-4 minutes; till they soften.

11- Then add the prepared spice mix and sauté till fragrant and the ghee is released on the sides.

12- Transfer this to the blended dhanshak.

13- Mix well and set the mode to 'sauté' for a 8-10 minutes; till it starts to bubble.

14- Serve dhanshak topped with cilantro and chopped onions alongside some ghee toasted bread or Parsi Brown Rice.

How to make Dhanshak in Pressure Cooker

This recipe is super easy to make without an Instant pot too. To make the recipe in a pressure cooker; simply add all the vegetables and dal in it. Then add water, salt and close the lid.

Pressure cook for 4 whistles and proceed as described above.

Expert Tips and Notes

• The vegetables and dal can be substituted based on availability.
• The same recipe can also be made in the pressure cooker too.
• Scale the recipe up or down based on servings desired. The time on the instant pot does not change as it adjusts based on quantity.
• Also, add pumpkin if you can find it. It often elevates the taste and flavor of the dhanshak.
• Plus, remove some of the sautéed onions and top them after cooking the dhanshak. It makes a great topping.
• Enjoy dhanshak with ghee toasted bread slices or with Parsi Brown Rice. It makes a great combination.

Serving and Storing

Dhanshak is best enjoyed as a meal. Pair it with ghee toasted bread slices or with Parsi Brown Rice for a meal.

It is great to serve straight from the Instant Pot. Or cool to room temperature and transfer to an air tight container. Refrigerate. The dhanshak may become thicker on standing.

Heat in a pan or use the microwave to reheat before serving. Add some water to thin it out if required.

Recipe FAQs

Pairings

This Vegetarian Dhanshak pairs wonderfully with so many recipes. Here are some of the best pairings.

More Instant Pot Recipes

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Parsi Dhanshak

Smruti

A delicious blend of vegetables and lentils all cooked with freshly ground masala; Parsi Dhanshak is one of the best Vegetarian recipes from the Parsi cuisine.

Flavorful, delicious and yet pretty easy to put together using the Instant Pot.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Parsi

Servings 8

Calories 134 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Dhanshak

• ▢ ¼ cup Tuvar Dal
• ▢ ¼ cup Moong Dal
• ▢ ¼ cup Masoor Dal
• ▢ 1 medium Eggplant
• ▢ ½ medium Bottle Gourd
• ▢ 1½ medium Onion
• ▢ 1 cup Spinach
• ▢ ¼ cup Fenugreek Leaves
• ▢ 1½ Tomato
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Ghee
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 2 cups Water

For the Masala

• ▢ 1 inch Ginger (chopped)
• ▢ 6-7 cloves Garlic (chopped)
• ▢ 2 Dried Red Chillies
• ▢ 2-3 barks Cinnamon
• ▢ 4-5 Cloves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds

To Serve

• ▢ ½ medium Onion (diced fine)
• ▢ 2-3 stalks Cilantro (chopped)
• ▢ ½ medium Lemon

Instructions

 

• Wash the dals well 2-3 times under running water and drain the water. Set aside.
  ¼ cup Tuvar Dal, ¼ cup Moong Dal, ¼ cup Masoor Dal
• Chop all the vegetables roughly. Peel the gourd before chopping.
  1 medium Eggplant, ½ medium Bottle Gourd, 1½ medium Onion, 1½ Tomato
• In the base of the instant pot add all the vegetables.
  1 cup Spinach, ¼ cup Fenugreek Leaves
• Then add all the washed dals. Season with salt.
  1½ teaspoon Salt
• Add water to the mix and mix well.
  2 cups Water
• Close the lid; set mode to 'pressure cook' at high pressure and time to 12 minutes. Move the vent to sealing position and let everything cook. Once the instant pot beeps, let all the pressure release naturally. Then open the Instant Pot.
• Use a masher or immersion blender and blend the mix well. Set aside.
• In a blender jar add all the ingredients for the masala. Blend to a smooth paste and set aside.
  1 inch Ginger, 6-7 cloves Garlic, 2 Dried Red Chillies, 2-3 barks Cinnamon, 4-5 Cloves, 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds, ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
• In a pan heat ghee. Add diced onions
  2 tablespoon Ghee, ½ medium Onion
• Sauté for 3-4 minutes; till they soften.
• Then add the prepared spice mix and sauté till fragrant and the ghee is released on the sides.
• Transfer this to the blended dhanshak.
• Mix well and set the mode to 'sauté' for atleast 8-10 minutes; till it starts to bubble.
• Serve dhanshak topped with lemon wedge, cilantro and onions alongside some ghee toasted bread or Parsi Brown Rice.
  2-3 stalks Cilantro, ½ medium Lemon

Video

Notes

• • The vegetables and dal can be substituted based on availability.

• • The same recipe can also be made in the pressure cooker too.

• • Scale the recipe up or down based on servings desired. The time on the instant pot does not change as it adjusts based on quantity.

• • Add pumpkin if you can find it. It often elevates the taste and flavor of the dhanshak.

• • Remove some of the sautéed onions and top them after cooking the dhanshak. It makes a great topping.

• • Enjoy dhanshak with ghee toasted bread slices or with Parsi Brown Rice. It makes a great combination.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 453mgPotassium: 337mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 626IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg

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