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EveryMasala

Regional blends

Dhansak masala

The Parsi blend for dhansak, a lentil and meat dish, with fenugreek, cinnamon and chilli.

Dhansak is a lentil, vegetable and meat dish of the Parsi community of Gujarat and Mumbai, and dhansak masala is its blend. It is a mild, sweet-and-sour mix that includes fenugreek and often turmeric.

What goes in

Coriander seed: 29%29%Cumin: 21%21%Red chilli: 21%21%Fenugreek seed: 7%Turmeric: 7%Cinnamon: 7%Black pepper: 7%14parts

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

  1. Step 1: Toast Dry roast the coriander and cumin.
  2. Step 2: Toast Roast the fenugreek lightly so it does not turn bitter.
  3. Step 3: Toast Add the chilli, cinnamon and pepper for a few seconds.
  4. Step 4: Grind Cool and grind to a powder with the turmeric.
  5. Step 5: Blend Blend and sieve.
  6. Step 6: Store Keep in a sealed jar.
  7. Coriander seed: 29%29%Cumin: 21%21%Red chilli: 21%21%Fenugreek seed: 7%Turmeric: 7%Cinnamon: 7%Black pepper: 7%
    Finished Dhansak masala, by share.

Community cooking

Parsis, Zoroastrians who settled in western India over many centuries, developed a cuisine that mixes Gujarati and Persian ideas. Dhansak is traditionally cooked on the fourth day after a death, when the family returns to eating meat, and is also served on other occasions.

Blend notes

Cumin, coriander, fenugreek, cinnamon, clove, pepper, turmeric, chilli and bay leaf are typical. Parsi families often keep a handed-down recipe, and no two are alike.

Where it is used

Chicken dhansakMutton dhansakBrown rice

The spices in it

FenugreekSeed.TurmericColour.CuminBase.CorianderThe leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.Chili pepperThe pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.CinnamonThe dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.Black pepperThe dried fruit of a climbing vine, the world's most traded spice.

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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