long shot: Homepride dhansak curry sauce substitute (fenugreek?)

Andrew_McP · 10 Aug 2013 at 17:18

About ten years ago, maybe more, Homepride ended their 'fancy' range of tinned curry sauces. The dhansak was my favourite curry sauce by a long, long way, and I was first introduced to it by a friend at uni in the 80's. I've never found anything similar in all the supermarket sauces I've tried.

Over the years I eventually identified the dominant flavour as fenugreek, but that hasn't helped me make or find a decent substitute.

These forums attract a wide range of ages and experience. Who knows, one of you might have a clue what I'm talking about. :-)

FWIW I believe it was marketed as a sauce for chicken, which definitely seemed to work best.

Darn, I've made myself hungry now. A curse on my neighbour for waking me and causing my mind to wander while I'm waiting for things to go quiet again! :->

King4aDay · 11 Aug 2013 at 11:30

There are about a million dhansak recipes, and probably none of them resemble whatever Homepride was passing off as dhansak in the 80s

This is quite a good link if you want to do some experimenting, it gives a bit of an overview of the variation in recipes - http://www.my-indian-food.com/Dhansak.html

Pumpkin or squash for the sweetness and tamarind for the sourness are pretty crucial IMO.

Andrew_McP · 11 Aug 2013 at 13:13

Thanks. The trouble with this kind of thing is that it's very hard to describe flavours in detail, and I lack to vocabulary to explain why this uniquely satisfying sauce was so darned good! :-)

I've tried lots of variations, and hundreds of curries, but most -- to my palate anyway! -- are very hard to single out as distinctive when considered against their rivals.

I guess it's just back to doggedly trying anything involving fenugreek in decent amounts. That's definitely the key flavour.

D WALGATE · 17 May 2018 at 18:08

I just Google "Homepride dansak" after not thinking about it for 15 years, and it brought me here. It was my favourite too, not necessarily much like a dansak, but definitely distinctive. Sad for the confirmation it's no more, but glad I'm not the only one who remembers it!

Psycho Sonny · 17 May 2018 at 22:56

It's basically lentil daal which has had plain curry sauce added to it.

Make a chicken curry. Make a lentil daal. Then mix the 2 together. Simples

the-evaluator · 18 May 2018 at 07:48

I've posted it before but my recipe makes what I consider a rather tasty dhansak - link.

Psycho Sonny · 19 May 2018 at 10:49

the-evaluator said:
I've posted it before but my recipe makes what I consider a rather tasty dhansak - link.

problem being dhansak isn't a real curry. as in people in india don't eat it. it was invented by british indian restaurants to cater to the west.

as i've said the best way to make it would be make a great daal, make a great curry then combine the two.

the best way to make a daal is also in a pressure cooker. throw everything in and just leave it for ages.

the-evaluator · 21 May 2018 at 10:17

Why is that a problem? If someone wants a curry containing lentils that's often referred to as a dhansak then I don't see anything wrong with that.

Mr.E. · 21 May 2018 at 15:05

Psycho Sonny said:
as in people in india don't eat it. it was invented by british indian restaurants to cater to the west.
.

As is nearly every dish in a British Indian Restaurant.

Psycho Sonny · 21 May 2018 at 15:22

the-evaluator said:
Why is that a problem? If someone wants a curry containing lentils that's often referred to as a dhansak then I don't see anything wrong with that.

because there is no real äuthenic recipe

the-evaluator · 21 May 2018 at 15:53

Meh, I still don't see the problem. Nobody was asking for an authentic recipe and the recipe of mine I linked to does specifically say that there's no claims made regarding it being authentic.