Lamb dhansak is a mild Indian curry using lamb or goat. This is ideal as an main dish and incorporates the flavours and spices of the Parsi Community. Also this recipe will suit those who are not used to the heat some curries have but retains the flavouring. The use of lentils is traditional in this dish and adds body and additional texture. However, I have listed this recipe as I cook it and it does take time for the vegetables to cook down. You can prepare this in a pressure cooker should you wish. Normally, I serve this with Tomato Relish and simple rice dish not to forget good old Honey Mango Chutney.
Lamb Dhansak is a hearty, gently spiced, nourishing and layered with so many comforting flavours that you almost feel better just thinking about it. If you’ve never cooked it before, imagine a beautiful meeting of tender lamb, soft vegetables, earthy lentils and warm spices, all simmered slowly until everything melts together in harmony.
I always like to start lamb dhansak with a good glug of rapeseed oil in the pan. It has a lovely mild flavour and stands up well to heat. Once it starts shimmering, in goes a chopped onion. You don’t need to fuss over it—just give it a few minutes to catch a bit of colour around the edges. That light browning adds a subtle sweetness that works wonders later on.
Then comes the star of the show: diced lamb leg. I love using this cut because it has just the right balance of flavour and tenderness. Once it hits the hot pan, the kitchen starts smelling marvellous. As the lamb browns, it develops that savoury depth that only slow-cooked meat can provide.
Next, the supporting cast arrives: chopped carrots for sweetness, crushed garlic and freshly grated ginger for that unmistakable warmth and fragrance. This stage always feels a bit like painting—orange, gold and cream mingling in the pan. Give everything a couple of minutes and your kitchen will smell as though you’ve invited every comforting spice from your cupboard to dinner.
Red lentils are the quiet heroes of this dish. They slip in unnoticed and transform as they cook, thickening the sauce and adding a soft, earthy backbone. They sit in the pan alongside tomatoes (tinned ones do the job perfectly), a cube of stock dissolved in boiling water, and a spoonful of mild curry paste. It’s a simple mix, but once it all starts bubbling together, you’d swear it had taken ages to prepare.
The real secret to Lamb Dhansak is the gentle simmering. Once everything is stirred in and happily mingling, the lid goes on and the heat drops down. That hour of slow cooking gives the lamb time to relax and soften, while the lentils break down and the sauce thickens into something wonderfully rich and wholesome.
But we’re not done yet. In come the sweet potatoes and aubergine—chunky, colourful, and ready to soak up all those spices. Sweet potato adds a natural velvety sweetness that balances the gentle heat of the curry paste, while aubergine turns silky and indulgent as it cooks. Another short simmer and the whole pot turns into a patchwork of flavours and textures that feel both exotic and familiar at once.
The final flourish is fresh coriander, roughly chopped and stirred through just before serving. It lifts everything with a pop of green and a fresh, herbal note that stops the dish from feeling too heavy. Keeping a sprinkle back for the top adds a touch of colour that makes the whole thing look as good as it tastes.
What I love most about Lamb Dhansak is that it doesn’t try too hard—it just quietly does everything right. There’s no rush, no fuss, no complicated steps or fancy ingredients. Just humble vegetables, lentils, a handful of spices and good lamb, all cooked slowly until they become something greater together than they ever were alone.
Serve it up in deep bowls and watch how everyone relaxes just a little more with every mouthful. Whether you’re feeding family, friends, or just treating yourself after a long day, lamb dhansak has a way of making you feel looked after. It’s one of those meals you don’t just eat—you remember.
And if you’ve got a bit left in the pot (which is rare in my house), it tastes even better the next day. Some dishes are just like that… and Lamb Dhansak definitely earns its place among them.
Lamb dhansak
Ingredients
- 2 tsp rapeseed oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 350 g lambs leg diced
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 cm ginger grated
- 100 g red lentils
- 1 cube chicken stock
- 400 ml boiling water
- 400 g tomatoes canned are good
- 1 tbsp mild curry paste
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled/chopped
- 1 large aubergine chopped
- 20 g coriander roughly chopped
Instructions
- Add the oil to a pan, then add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to brown.2 tsp rapeseed oil, 1 large onion
- Add the lamb and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, until well browned.350 g lambs leg
- Add the carrots, garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.2 medium carrots, 4 cloves garlic, 3 cm ginger
- Add the lentils, stock, tomatoes and curry paste and mix well.100 g red lentils, 1 cube chicken stock, 400 g tomatoes, 1 tbsp mild curry paste
- Bring to the boil, add a lid, reduce the heat, then simmer for 1 hour.400 ml boiling water
- Add the sweet potato and aubergine, mix and cover again.2 medium sweet potatoes, 1 large aubergine
- Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
- Check the lamb is tender. If not, simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
- Stir the fresh coriander into Lamb Dhansak, saving a little for the top, and serve.20 g coriander
23 comments
An easy dish that is rammed with flavour.
The chunks of sweet potato were a highlight for me.
The sweetness from the carrots and sweet potatoes gave the dish a lovely balance.
I don’t usually cook with lentils, but they completely transformed the dish. The texture was gorgeous and the sauce was luscious.
I loved the balance of sweetness from the sweet potato and the warmth of the spices.
The lamb was so tender after the long simmer.
My whole kitchen smelled incredible while it was cooking. That mix of garlic, ginger and tomatoes is just magic.
I served it with rice and naan and it was the perfect weekend meal.
I’d never thought to pair lamb with lentils like this, but it works beautifully.
It reheated beautifully the next day and tasted even better. The flavours had deepened and the texture was spot on.
The fresh coriander at the end made such a difference. It brightened everything up and tied the flavours together beautifully.
I’m not always a fan of aubergine, but in this it becomes silky and soft—almost like it was meant for this kind of curry.
Warming, filling and full of flavour—absolute comfort food.
Rich, comforting and full of flavour. The lamb was melt-in-the-mouth and the lentils made it feel hearty without being too heavy.
It’s the kind of dish you go back to for seconds without thinking twice.
The aubergine soaked up the sauce beautifully. Every spoonful had something different going on and I couldn’t get enough.
You can tell it’s a slow-cooked dish—every ingredient blends into the next. It’s layered, comforting and filling.
I liked that it wasn’t too spicy. The mild heat let the earthy lentils and juicy lamb shine through.
This dish tasted like it had been cooking all day in a traditional kitchen. Comforting, aromatic and absolutely delicious.
The lentils thickened the sauce so well that it felt creamy without needing anything extra.
The curry paste gave just the right level of spice—mild but warming. I liked that it didn’t drown out the lamb.
It just fell apart and mixed perfectly with the tomatoes and curry paste.
The tomatoes gave it a rich base without being too acidic. They pulled all the spices together so well.