• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Neils Healthy Meals

Quick Healthy Meals

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Wellbeing
  • Healthy Living
  • Contact Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • FREE eBook
  • Healthy Living
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • FREE eBook
    • Healthy Living
    • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dinner » Curry

    One Pot Chicken Dhansak

    Published: Feb 23, 2017 · Updated: Jun 14, 2022 by Neil 14 Comments

    1.4K shares
    • Facebook234
    • Yummly
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    Birds eye view of a one pot chicken dhansak cooked casserole. With a spoon in and garnished with Coriander. Ready to serve.
    One pot chicken dhansak is a delicious home made lentil curry infused with spices that is so easy to make. Filling and providing a huge amount of your daily protein requirement it also comes in at only 437 calories too! #neilshealthymeals #recipe #curry #dinner #chickencurry #dhansak #dhansakcurry

    One pot chicken dhansak is a delicious home made lentil curry infused with spices that is so easy to make. Filling and providing a huge amount of your daily protein requirement it also comes in at only 437 calories too!  

    A bowl of served one pot chicken dhansak garnished with chopped coriander. Balti dishes and coriander stalks in the background.

    If you're a lover of a good curry then you're going to love this one pot chicken dhansak recipe.

    It's just packed full of flavour. I've managed to get that flavour from a handful of store cupboard spices rather than an endless list of ingredients which I've seen in some comparable dhansak recipes.

    There's hints of cinnamon and chilli and the spices aren't overpowering making it a mild curry suitable for anyone!

    Regular followers of Neil's Healthy Meals will know that I'm all about making my own recipes from scratch.

    I try to make my recipes as easy as possible for anyone to follow along. This one pot chicken dhansak is designed to do just that.

    You'll find this an easy chicken dhansak recipe which is restaurant quality.

    This chicken dhansak has heaps of flavour but doesn't use the long list of spices to create the dhansak sauce that you would normally find in an Indian restaurants curry.

    Tender chicken with lightly spiced thick red lentil sauce make all in one pot which takes just over an hour in total. A perfect family weeknight curry!

    I spent ages perfecting my dhansak to make it as near as possible to the chicken dhansak that was my staple "go-to" curry whenever my friends and I went out to our local curry house in Dundee!

    Birds eye view of a bowl of served one pot chicken dhansak with a fork lying across the top. A bottle of beer and a dish of chopped coriander at the top.

    Ah, those were the days! 😉

    When I went out for my first ever restaurant curry I'd just started work as a Kitchen Porter, part time, at a local hotel in Dundee in order to fund my university studies beer money.

    Looking up and down the curry menu I had no idea as to what to order. It was so exotic and new to me, with options like "sag aloo" and "chicken jalfrezi".

    I settled on a chicken dhansak because it sounded really tasty and because I recognised the ingredients!

    I could see it was a lightly spiced red lentil based dish. And of course it had chicken!

    That probably wasn't very adventurous of me but it became what I would order every time, just because I loved it so much!

    So I'm hoping today that when you give my one pot chicken dhansak recipe a try you find it just as delicious as I did that first time.

    Of course this one though is much more healthier made with far less oil that you would normally find in a traditional Indian restaurant curry.

    Not that I'm against one of those once in a while, but I like to eat curry every week so it has to be a healthier version or I would be the size of a house!

    Birds eye view of one pot chicken dhansak in a large casserole pot with a serving spoon in.

    Dhansak is one of our curry house favourites here in the U.K.

    You'll find some Dhansak recipes have pineapple chunks added into them.

    As a personal preference I do not like pineapple chunks in my Indian cuisine!

    However if you do then add them in at the end of the cooking process once the chicken is cooked.

    Also if you don't have any chicken to make this recipe it is possible to use goat meat instead.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • How To Make Chicken Dhansak
    • FAQ's
    • Other Popular Curry Recipes You Might Also Like
    • One Pot Chicken Dhansak Recipe
    • Nutrition Label
    • Rate The Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Sunflower Oil
    • Cardamom Pods
    • Mustard Seeds
    • Dried Chilli Flakes
    • Cinnamon Stick
    • Onion
    • Ginger & Garlic Paste
    • Tomatoes
    • Red Lentils
    • Chicken Stock
    • Salt
    • Chicken Breasts
    • Fresh Coriander

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Substitutions

    • Sunflower Oil - you could use vegetable oil or ghee.
    • Cardamom Pods
    • Mustard Seeds
    • Dried Chilli Flakes
    • Cinnamon Stick
    • Onion
    • Ginger & Garlic Paste
    • Tomatoes - fresh tomatoes are best but you could substitute with tinned or tomato passata.
    • Red Lentils
    • Chicken Stock
    • Salt
    • Chicken Breasts - I prefer breast meat but you could also use chicken thighs or chicken pieces. Or even leftover roast chicken.
    • Fresh Coriander - optional for garnish.

    How To Make Chicken Dhansak

    Detailed instructions for this chicken dhansak recipe are in the recipe card below. But here is a quick step by step guide of how to make the best chicken dhansak curry:

    1. Heat oil over a medium heat.
    2. Fry spices. Stir to prevent burning and sticking to bottom of the pan.
    3. Add onion and ginger-garlic paste. Cook until softenned.
    4. Add tomatoes. Cook until softenned.
    5. Puree into a lovely thick sauce.
    6. Add lentils and chicken stock. Simmer.
    7. Add chopped chicken. Let chicken cook.
    8. Serve garnished with chopped coriander.

    FAQ's

    What To Serve This Chicken Dhansak Recipe With?

    As this chicken dhansak is made with lentils it's quite filling on its own.

    You just need to serve it with a few tablespoons of boiled brown rice or naan bread. Why not make my home made naan breads?

    What does dhansak taste like?

    This is a mild creamy tasty curry. The addition of lentils makes the tasty sauce. It has a slight tomato taste. If you want it spicier then add a little more hot chilli powder.

    Subscribe to Neil's Healthy Meals

    Don't miss future updates and new recipes. Make sure you’re subscribed to Neil’s Healthy Meals.

    Subscribe here to add your email to the subscription list.

    And you can follow me too via your favourite social channels :-

    Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Bloglovin & YouTube.

    *I do not use your email for anything else other than adding you to my blog subscription list which you can opt out of at any time.

    Other Popular Curry Recipes You Might Also Like

    • Cauliflower dhansak is a rich and filling medley of delicious flavours. Vegan, gluten free and low calorie too, you’ll find yourself coming back again and again for another spoonful of this satisfying curry.
    • Chicken curry in a hurry is quick, delicious and packed full of taste. On the table in under an hour and it serves up to four. There's a video showing you how to make it too. It's so easy!
    • Skinny lamb curry is great when you want to enjoy the full flavours of a lamb curry without the guilty feeling of adding to your waist line. You’ll love the taste of the tender lean lamb marinated in it’s delicious curry sauce!
    One pot chicken dhansak is a delicious home made lentil curry infused with spices that is so easy to make. Filling and providing a huge amount of your daily protein requirement it also comes in at only 437 calories too!
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    5 from 1 vote

    One Pot Chicken Dhansak Recipe

    One pot chicken dhansak is a delicious home made lentil curry infused with spices that is so easy to make.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 437kcal
    Author: Neil

    The following links and any links in the recipe card below are affiliate links.

    This means that if you click on it and then buy that product I’ll get a small commission (at no extra cost to you of course).

    If you do click through then thanks for being a part of Neil’s Healthy Meals!

    Equipment

    • Casserole pot
    • Measuring spoons
    • Chopping board
    • Kitchen knives
    • Kitchen scale
    • Measuring jug
    • Wooden spoon
    • Blender

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon sunflower oil
    • 6 cardamom pods crushed with skin removed
    • 2 teaspoon mustard seeds
    • 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
    • ¼ cinnamon stick
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 1 & ½ tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
    • 6 tomatoes roughly chopped
    • 300 g red split lentils
    • 600 ml chicken stock
    • 2 teaspoon salt
    • 750 g chopped chicken breasts
    • Freshly chopped coriander
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Gently heat oil
    • Add spices and gently fry for about 1 minute until the seeds start to pop, stir to prevent any burning of these spices.
    • Add the onion and ginger and garlic paste and cook until the onion is softened for about 5 to 7 minutes.
    • Add chopped tomatoes and cook until softened for about 10 minutes and keep stirring regularly.
    • Carefully remove these cooked ingredients to a blender or use a stick blender to blitz to a paste and then return to the pan.
    • Add the lentils and chicken stock, bring the curry to the boil and once boiling turn down to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils have softened. Add extra boiled water from a kettle if necessary then add the salt to taste.
    • Add the chopped chicken and cook the chicken within the lentil mixture for about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
    • Serve garnished with chopped coriander.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Nutrition

    Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 36.7g | Fat: 15.8g | Cholesterol: 71.2mg | Sodium: 865.7mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 26.4mg

    Nutrition Label

    Nutritional information provided below is calculated using paid for online tools and the exact ingredients and quantities used above.

    Nutrition Facts
    One Pot Chicken Dhansak
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 437 Calories from Fat 142
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 15.8g24%
    Cholesterol 71.2mg24%
    Sodium 865.7mg38%
    Carbohydrates 38g13%
    Sugar 6g7%
    Protein 36.7g73%
    Vitamin A 450IU9%
    Vitamin C 26.4mg32%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Rate The Recipe

    If you’ve made this easy chicken dhansak recipe, or any other recipes on Neil's Healthy Meals, then please let me know.

    I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂

    Related

    « Baked Potato With Coronation Turkey
    Easy Vegan Chilli »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      February 23, 2017 at 11:59 am

      This looks like magic to me!!! The red lentils and the chicken...o my goodness!

      Reply
      • neil@neilshealthymeals.com

        February 23, 2017 at 8:39 pm

        So glad you like it Rebecca!

        I'll need to see what I can "magic" up next time to impress you just as much. Thanks! 🙂

        Reply
    2. rachel @ athletic avocado

      February 23, 2017 at 12:41 pm

      Only 437 calories for this lovely meal? Heck yes! Maybe Ill eat 3 times as much haha!

      Reply
      • neil@neilshealthymeals.com

        February 23, 2017 at 8:40 pm

        Ha ha brilliant Rachel. Well there's a whole pot of this waiting for you and even if you ate the whole pot it still wouldn't be your whole recommended daily calorie intake! 😉

        Reply
    3. Jeff

      February 23, 2017 at 2:46 pm

      Mmm. This is a new one for me. It looks delicious.

      Reply
      • neil@neilshealthymeals.com

        February 23, 2017 at 8:41 pm

        Thanks Jeff. I wish I could transport this one over to you so you could really taste how delicious it is!

        Reply
    4. Susie @ Suzlyfe

      February 23, 2017 at 9:17 pm

      That color is gorgeous! In honor of you coming to the states, my March goal is to make one of your curries!

      Reply
      • neil@neilshealthymeals.com

        February 24, 2017 at 7:38 am

        Susie I would be honored!

        If you're looking for a really easy one to start off with, then the Chicken Curry In a Hurry is super simple?

        Have a great weekend!

        Reply
    5. GiGi Eats

      February 25, 2017 at 12:50 am

      5 stars
      THIS looks insanely flavorful - INSANELY! And that chicken is poking out to say HI, come eat me! 😉

      Reply
      • neil@neilshealthymeals.com

        February 25, 2017 at 1:16 pm

        Succulent chunks of chicken just waiting for you to get them Gigi! 😉

        Reply
    6. Shashi at RunninSrilankan

      February 28, 2017 at 1:04 pm

      Hahah , Neil, I love your reasoning on getting a job as a Kitchen Porter! Haha - beer is pricey - to a college kid! 🙂 I must say I've not heard of chicken dhansak before - I'm thinking I might have had it and not paid attention to the name - but yours looks wonderful - made from scratch curries with ingredients readily available are the best!
      Yay for y'alls upcoming trip! My daughter and I have an epic trip coming up in July and I cannot wait so I know how you must be feeling! I might be late in checking out your travel post(s) but I so enjoy reading them as I get to travel their myself - through y'all!

      Reply
      • neil@neilshealthymeals.com

        February 28, 2017 at 8:04 pm

        Thanks so much Shashi for your kind comments about my Chicken Dhansak! 🙂

        It's an awesome curry and as I know you love your lentils I think you'd love it.

        Yep, not long until our holiday now. Can't wait to hear about your epic trip in July, that sounds intriguing!

        Reply
    7. Joan Hewitt

      July 14, 2020 at 7:38 am

      Thank you Neal....a really tasty curry. I made it with turkey to fit in with my weight loss plan. My husband loved it too, another regular meal for us.

      Reply
      • Neil

        July 14, 2020 at 12:41 pm

        Thanks Joan. I'm really glad you enjoyed this, and your husband too! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Stay safe! 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hello there! I’m Neil. Since 2014 Neil's Healthy Meals has been providing delicious quick healthy recipes and fabulous cheesecakes based on the 80/20 rule for eating. Helping you live a diet free lifestyle. One where you can still enjoy cake! Learn more here

    Popular Recipes

    • Birds eye view of 2 bowls of Scottish lentil soup with spoons in.
      Easy Scottish Lentil Soup
    • Easy homemade quorn lasagne cooked and displayed on a table ready to be cut and served.
      Easy Homemade Quorn Lasagne
    • Birds eye view of a pan of cooked low fat garlic mushroom pasta garnished with chopped parsley. Bowl of garlic bread at the top.
      Low Fat Garlic Mushroom Pasta
    • Slow cooker vegetarian chilli in slow cooker. Dishes of rice and coriander at the top.
      Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chilli

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Neil's Healthy Meals

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 NEILSHEALTHYMEALS.COM - PRIVACY POLICY - DISCLAIMER

    1.4K shares
    • 234